OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify associated factors for postpartum depression (PPD) among women with female genital mutilation (FGM) in Somalia. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted between February and May 2021 in Somalia Mogadishu-Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan Training and Research Hospital, Mogadishu, Somalia. Mothers with any known chronic disease, or psychiatric disorders and who refused to participate were excluded from the study. The cutoff point for depression was defined as ≥13 points according to the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. RESULTS: = .002). Education level, place of residence, occupational status, number of children, type of FGM, and the presence of perineal tear did not differ significantly between depressed and non-depressed groups. CONCLUSIONS: Women with FGM had increased depressive symptoms in the early postpartum period in Somalia. In addition, women who had lower income had higher PPD scores than their counterparts. Further studies are needed to develop a deeper understanding of the relationships between FGM and PPD and its causes.
Objective background: This was a retrospective study of the clinical and therapeutic aspects of urological complications of female genital mutilation in the urology department of Bamako’s Gabriel Touré University Hospital. Methods: Our study took place from 2002 to 2017 in the urology department of the Gabriel Touré University Hospital in Bamako and concerned cases of complications of female genital mutilation. Our study included all girls or women presenting with urinary disorders related to complications of genital mutilation and received in urological consultation and surgical management. Results: The average age of our patients was 2.5 years, with extremes ranging from 3 months to 35 years. The oldest patient had presented with dystocia during both deliveries. Acute urine retention (n = 7) was the most frequent reason for consultation. Other signs included urinary incontinence, pollakiuria and burning. Physical examination revealed clitoridectomy and abrasion of the labia minora in 13 patients. Type III of the WHO classification of female genital mutilation was the most frequent and corresponded to infibulation.
Mamadou Tidiani Coulibaly, Issa Amadou, Maimouna Traore et al.
Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) threatens the health and well-being of girls in a variety of ways. Some experts have suggested that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may be among the practice’s adverse health outcomes. They theorize that because women with FGM/C risk genital trauma and bleeding during intercourse, their chances of acquiring HIV from an infected male partner are increased. While evidence that FGM/C increases susceptibility to HIV could bolster FGM/C eradication efforts, this connection has received limited research attention. This brief highlights the Evidence to End FGM/C program’s findings on the current state of evidence on the association between FGM/C and HIV, including the quality of the existing research and recommendations for further investigation.
Sahiyo Stories brought together women from across the United States to create personalized digital stories narrating the experience of undergoing female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). FGM/C continues because people believe that if a girl does not undergo it, she will not grow up to be a "good woman." For centuries, then, women have been afraid to speak about FGM/C for fear of ostracization from their communities, getting loved ones in trouble, and other reasons. Sahiyo Stories shatters this silence and the digital stories collection is woven together by a united sentiment to protect future generations of girls from this harm.
Amend the Children Act 1989 to provide that certain proceedings under Part 1 of Schedule 2 to the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 are family proceedings.
PURPOSE: The overall goal of the Saleema Initiative in Sudan is to promote long-term abandonment of female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM) through a contribution to changing social norms, attitudes, and intentions related to the practice. The initiative aims to create positive cultural associations with a girl remaining uncut, a new social norm. Saleema hypothesizes that branding the alternative to FGM (abandonment) will promote social norms change. In 2014, the lead author designed a monitoring and evaluation framework for Saleema in partnership with UNICEF, the National Council for Child Welfare (NCCW), and local organizations. METHODS: The Saleema evaluation aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the campaign in reducing pro-FGM social norms. A quasi-experimental design controlled for dosage of campaign messages delivered across the 18 states in Sudan to measure a dose-response effect. We operationalized social norms through a 4-item scale validated in previous research. RESULTS: This paper reports on quantitative evaluation findings based on data gathered in from 2015-2017 and focuses on the dose-response relationship between Saleema exposure and changes in FGM social norms. We found that self-reported exposure was associated with reduced pro-FGM social norms (coeff. = -0.329, p < .001). Additionally, higher doses of Saleema, measured through an exogenous measure of campaign event exposure from an independent monitoring system was associated with reduced pro-FGM social norms (coeff. = -0.146, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Saleema was effective in reducing pro-FGM social norms. It is a promising strategy and findings contribute to the growing literature on social norms approaches to behavior change.
William Douglas Evans, Cody Donahue, Jeremy Williams Snider et al.
Two commonly linked harmful practices that negatively impact the health of girls and women in sub-Saharan Africa, and threaten their development and quality of life, are female genital mutilation and girl-child marriage. The central focus of the study was to investigate the association between female genital mutilation and girl-child marriage in sub-Saharan Africa. Data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys of twelve sub-Sahara African countries were pooled. A total of 14,748 women aged 20-24 were included in the study. A multilevel logistic regression analysis was employed, with reported adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The overall prevalence of FGM in the twelve countries was 52.19%, with the highest prevalence in Guinea (97.17%). The overall prevalence of girl-child marriage in the twelve countries was 57.96%, with the highest prevalence in Chad (78.06%). Women who had never experienced female genital mutilation were less likely to experience girl-child marriage (aOR=0.76, CI=0.71-0.82) compared with those who had ever experienced female genital mutilation. Age 24 (aOR=0.47, CI=0.43-0.52), secondary/higher level of education (aOR=0.31, CI=0.28-0.35), richest wealth quintile (aOR=0.56, CI=0.47-0.66), exposure to mass media (aOR=0.81, CI=0.74-0.88) medium community literacy level (aOR=0.63, CI=0.57-0.69) and low community socioeconomic status (aOR=0.67, CI=0.49-0.92) were found to be protective against girl-child marriage. The findings reveal that female genital mutilation is associated with girl-child marriage in sub-Saharan Africa. The continued practice will adversely affect the reproductive health outcomes of girls in the sub-region. Policies aimed at eliminating female genital mutilation and girl-child marriage should focus on compulsory basic education, poverty alleviation and increasing access to mass media. Further, campaigns should cover more communities with lower literacy levels and medium socioeconomic status.
Bright Opoku Ahinkorah, John Elvis Hagan, Abdul-Aziz Seidu et al.
Teaching about Human Rights: Female Genital Mutilation in America Abstract Increasing immigration from Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East has enhanced cultural diversity in the United States. The wide array of foods, languages, customs, and unique historical experiences associated with immigration have contributed to the political, social, and economic fabric of a multicultural democracy. However, immigrants may also bring certain cultural practices which violate American constitutional law and various state laws. Moreover, these practices, such as female genital mutilation (FGM), are incompatible with American ideals of equality, social justice, and human rights. Recent research indicates that an increasing number of girls and women in the United States have undergone or are at risk for various forms of FGM. This practice is also a violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, signed by the United States in 1948. This article will describe the nature, causes, and consequences of FGM on girls and women and articulate social studies activities and methods that teachers can use to inform secondary students about this human rights issue. This may stimulate student activism, a major goal in social studies. Furthermore, the article will describe the legal and professional responsibilities teachers must take if they have students at risk of FGM in their classes.
BACKGROUND: Women with female genital mutilation/cutting are known to have psychological sequelae from the cutting and other traumatic experiences. However, very few studies report immediate psychological sequelae of genital reconstructive surgery in this population. The present case is the first to our knowledge to report post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms immediately following defibulation, a procedure common in women with female genital mutilation/cutting type III. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 31-year-old Sudanese nulliparous woman in the second trimester of pregnancy with female genital mutilation/cutting type IIIa who was referred for antepartum defibulation to facilitate a vaginal birth. Immediately after an uncomplicated surgery under local anesthesia and just before the first micturition, she developed post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and suddenly recalled the traumatic experience of her first micturition after female genital mutilation/cutting when she was a child in Sudan. The woman was offered psychiatric follow-up with psychotherapy for 4 months and a short course of benzodiazepines. She had fully recovered by the time of delivery, 4 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: We discuss the possibility of recall of a past traumatic experience of female genital mutilation/cutting during defibulation or other genital surgeries. We review the benefits and risks of defibulation, the impact of this procedure, and the setting and timing in which it is performed, focusing on women's mental health and psychological support.
Gianmarco Taraschi, Emily Manin, Francesco Bianchi De Micheli et al.
BACKGROUND: Female genital mutilation remains a public health concern and human rights violation affecting young girls in Sierra Leone, despite global efforts to eliminate the practice. With its diverse socio-cultural background and varying regional practices, Sierra Leone presents a unique context for examining how female genital mutilation practices have evolved across different population subgroups. This study examined the early childhood female genital mutilation among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) who reported having FGM before the age of five in Sierra Leone. METHODS: The study utilised data from the Sierra Leone Demographic Health Survey rounds conducted in 2008, 2013, and 2019. The World Health Organisation Health Equity Assessment Toolkit software calculated various measures, including difference, ratio, population-attributable risk, and population-attributable fraction. An assessment was calculated for five stratifiers: age, education level, economic status, place of residence, and sub-national province. RESULTS: The prevalence of female genital mutilation among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) who reported undergoing the practice before the age of five in Sierra Leone declined from 23.2% in 2008 to 12.3% in 2019. By 2019, female genital mutilation showed minimal variation between women aged 40-49 and 15-19, as well as in urban-rural differences. Economic variations in female genital mutilation decreased but continued to disadvantage women in the poorest quintile. Educational variations in female genital mutilation decreased but still impacted women without formal education. Provincial variations in female genital mutilation widened, with the ratio between the Western and Northwestern provinces increasing from 1.8 in 2008 to 2.6 in 2019. CONCLUSION: The results showed a decrease in early childhood female genital mutilationin Sierra Leone. While differences related to age groups and urban-rural residence have largely been eliminated, substantial differences persist across educational levels, economic status, and provinces. Most notably, the provincial differences between the Western and Northwestern provinces had widened, with the difference in ratio indicating that female genital mutilation practices remain disproportionately concentrated in some provincial areas. These results suggest that while national-level interventions have been partially successful, there is a critical need for targeted, context-specific approaches that address persistent socioeconomic and provincial variations to achieve a more equitable reduction in early childhood female genital mutilation across all population groups in Sierra Leone.
Augustus Osborne, Camilla Bangura, Baindu Abu et al.
