Female genital cutting (FGC): Who defines whose culture as unethical?. (2017)

This study is a Systematic Review regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics: Author(s): Onsongo,N. FGM/C Type(s): All Health area of focus: None. Objective: To address the lack of autonomy in African countries relative to FGC eradica-tion Study Population: Relied on articles Findings: There is no doubt that FGC and FGCS have health implications for females.However,compromise is necessary to uphold cultural significance for FGC-practicing communities in the same way that autonomy is accorded to Westernwomen practicing FGCS. Medicalization of FGC is beneficial in the interimwhile other alternatives to FGC are pursued. As such,rather than adopting acondemnatory perspective,we should adopt public health measures that focuson minimizing harms,providing ‘‘education and offering support to the targetcommunity’’ Geographical coverage Region(s):Eastern Africa Country(ies):Kenya Source

September 8, 2023

Female genital cutting African women speak out (Not specified)

This study is a Exploratory research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics: Author(s): Khadija Khaja,Carenlee Barkdull,Marva Augustine,Dianne Cunningham FGM/C Type(s): All Health area of focus: None. Objective: The purpose of the study was to better understand the women’s experienceswith and views of FGC. Study Population: Somali-born North American immigrant women who had undergone the practice of female genital cutting (FGC). Findings: Findings illustrated that the motivations and complications of FGC were consistent with what circumcised women have reported in other studies. Most respondents believed their parents had them undergo FGC because it was an integral part of Somali culture,a way of showing that a daughter was honorable and chaste. Respondents also believed their parents interpreted FGC to be part of traditional Islamic belief systems,even though circumcision of females is not stated in the religious book of Muslims (the Quran). The FGC complications related above were reported by some women who had experienced the more severe forms of excision or infibulation. The discrepancy in risk was associated with how skilled a circumciser was,and whether or not the procedure was performed in a hospital. Geographical coverage Region(s):North America Country(ies):United States Source

Female genital cutting African women speak out (2009)

This study is a Exploratory research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics: Author(s): Khaja Khadija,Carenlee Barkdull,Marva Augustine,Dianne Cunningham FGM/C Type(s): All Health area of focus: None. Objective: To better understand the women’s experiences with and views of FGM/C Study Population: Women Findings: Findings illustrated that the motivations and complications of FGC were consistent with what circumcised women have reported in other studies. Most respondents believed their parents had them undergo FGC because it was an integral part of Somali culture,a way of showing that a daughter was honorable and chaste. Respondents also believed their parents interpreted FGC to be part of traditional Islamic belief systems even though circumcision of females is not stated in the religious book of Muslims (the Quran). Geographical coverage Region(s):North America Country(ies):Canada,United States Source

Female genital cutting among the Hausa community in Sagamu (2005)

This study is a Descriptive research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics: Author(s): MD Oduwole and CA Iyaniwura FGM/C Type(s): All Health area of focus: None. Objective: To examine the awareness,attitude and practice of female genital cutting among the Hausas who reside in Sagamu Study Population: Community members Findings: One hundred and seventy seven females and 68 males were interviewed. The males had a higher level of education compared with the females (p

Female Genital Cutting among the Somali of Kenya and Management of its Complications (2005)

This study is a Descriptive research regarding II,III FGM/C with the following characteristics: Author(s): Guyo W. Jaldesa,Ian Askew,Carolyne Njue and Monica Wanjiru FGM/C Type(s): II,III Health area of focus: Gynaecological. Objective: 1. To document the reasons currently used by the Somali community to justify continuation of FGC. 2. To document Somalis’ perceptions of women’s and children’s rights in relation to bodily integrity,gender relations,and sexuality. 3. To identify key actors who influence the decision to sustain the practice at the community level. 4. To understand how behavioural norms are sustained generally within the Somali community. 5. To identify those within the community who have openly abandoned the practice and understand their motivation to do so and how the decision was taken. 6. To identify community-based organizations or individuals with which partnerships could be established to support community-based FGC abandonment interventions. 7. To assess whether Somalis living in Nairobi have different beliefs,attitudes and behaviours concerning FGC than those living in North Eastern Province. 8. To document the readiness of selected clinics and their staff to offer essential and emergency obstetric care,and to manage gynaecological complications associated with infibulation. 9. To document the role,if any,of medical staff in carrying out infibulation and de-infibulation. Study Population: Somali community members,Community and religious leaders,recently married and unmarried men and women,health providers,antenatal clients who had been cut Findings: The study confirmed that FGC is a deeply rooted and widely supported cultural practice. Several closely related reasons are used to sustain the practice: religious obligation,family honour,and virginity as a prerequisite for marriage; an aesthetic preference for infibulated genitalia was also mentioned. However,FGC plays no role as a rite of passage. Underlying these reasons were the use of infibulation to enforce the cultural value of sexual purity in females. The study also found that the health sector was ill equipped to serve women who have been cut,particularly infibulated pregnant women and could be associated with an overall weakness in the availability and quality of safe motherhood services in North Eastern Province. In addition,and especially in Nairobi,health workers were increasingly being approached to perform infibulations and re-infibulations. Geographical coverage Region(s):Eastern Africa Country(ies):Kenya Source

Female genital cutting and hepatitis C spread in Egypt (2013)

This study is a Correlation research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics: Author(s): Kenyon Chris,Jozefien Buyze,Ludwig Apers,and Robert Colebunders FGM/C Type(s): All Health area of focus: Hepatitis C and FGM. Objective: To determine the relationship between female genital cutting and hepatitis C spread in Egypt Study Population: Not Stated Findings: In an ecological analysis,a strong association between FGC and HCV prevalence (Pearson R (2)-74%;  P < 0.0001). HCV prevalence is significantly higher if FGC is performed by a non-Doctor (15.4%) than a Doctor (4.2%; P < 0.001),and the calculated population attributable fraction of FGC for prevalent HCV seropositivity is high in women (79.8%) Geographical coverage Region(s):Northern Africa Country(ies):Egypt Source

Female Genital Cutting and HIV Transmission: is there an association (2013)

This study is a Correlation research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics: Author(s): Diouf Khady and Nawal Nour FGM/C Type(s): All Health area of focus: HIV Transmission. Objective: To review the evidence and identify unanswered questions and research gaps regarding a potential association between FGC and HIV transmission Study Population: Not Stated Findings: Although there is plausible,theoretical evidence of an association between HIV and FGC,epidemiologic assessment of this association is rendered difficult by many challenges in design,data collection,and analysis; especially given the heterogeneity in the practice being studied (type I versus type III FGC for example). It is clear that better insight into the question will require large cohort studies in areas with high prevalence of both FGC and HIV,and with rigorous data collection tools. Geographical coverage Region(s):Not specified Country(ies):Not specified Source

Female genital cutting and HIV/AIDS among Kenyan women (2007)

This study is a Correlation research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics: Author(s): Kathryn M Yount,Bisrat K Abraham FGM/C Type(s): All Health area of focus: HIV. Objective: To test the direct and indirect associations of FGC with HIV. Study Population: Women Findings: Adjusted models suggested that FGM/C was not associated directly with HIV,but was associated indirectly through several pathways. Cut women were 1.72 times more likely than uncut women to have older partners than women with older partners Geographical coverage Region(s):Eastern Africa Country(ies):Kenya Source

Female genital cutting and long-term health consequences – Nationally representative estimates across 13 Countries (2015)

This study is a Correlation research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics: Author(s): Wagner Natascha FGM/C Type(s): All Health area of focus: None. Objective: To compare long-term health outcomes across cut and uncut women. Study Population: Women Findings: Consistent with medical research,no evidence of general health impairments or decreased fertility induced by female genital cutting (FGC) is found; rather cut women have more children. The most pronounced long-term health impairments are a 24 per cent increase in the odds of contracting sexually transmitted infections and a 15 per cent increase in genital problems. Concomitantly,the odds that a cut woman will marry before an uncut woman are 13 per cent Geographical coverage Region(s):Western Africa,Eastern Africa,Middle Africa Country(ies):Benin,Burkina Faso,Cameroon,Chad,Ethiopia,Ghana,Guinea,Kenya,Mali,Nigeria,Niger,Senegal,Sierra Leone Source

Female genital cutting and mother’s age at birth are associated with the sex of offspring in Africa (2008)

This study is a Correlation research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics: Author(s): Martin J,Williams R FGM/C Type(s): All Health area of focus: None. Objective: To find out the association between FGM/C and sex ratio at birth Study Population: Females,Males Findings: The study found that FGM/C was associated with and may contribute to increases in the sex ratio at birth (Odds Ratio = 1.019; 95% C.I. = 1.007,1.032) while mother’s age at birth was inversely associated with probability of male birth (Odds Ratio = 0.998; 95% C.I. = 0.997,0.999) in a generalized linear,logistic model with the probability of a male birth the dependent variable and eight potential explanatory variables applied to 413,384 births in 22 African countries Geographical coverage Region(s):Western Africa,Eastern Africa,Middle Africa,Northern Africa,Southern Africa Country(ies):Benin,Burkina Faso,Burundi,Central African Republic,Chad,Ethiopia,Gabon,Guinea,Côte d’Ivoire,Kenya,Madagascar,Malawi,Mali,Namibia,Niger,Nigeria,Rwanda,South Africa,Sudan,Tanzania,Zambia,Zimbabwe Source