Female genital cutting

Abstract 

Female genital cutting is increasingly been seen in Western countries, and is estimated that worldwide about 120 million girls have undergone some form of FGM. The WHO has outlawed it on the grounds that it is a violation of human rights. There are almost always wrong traditional, cultural, and religious beliefs related to the practice. Type III and IV are the most likely to cause major gynaecological and obstetrical complications. Dedicated clinics have been shown to be successful in managing those women, especially when female staff is available with links to psychosexual services. The obstetrician should offer the woman elective defibulation at around 20 weeks gestation. The recent years have seen increasing worldwide efforts to eradicate the problem such as “circumcision through words”. Other international initiatives have included declaring 6 February as the International day of Zero Tolerance of FGM, marked in both Africa and other parts of the world.

Keywords: complications, female genital cutting, management, obstetrical, procedure, WHO