Primary infertility after genital mutilation in girlhood in Sudan: a case-control study (2005)
This study is a Correlation research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics:
Author(s): Almroth Lars,Susan Elmusharaf,Nagla El Hadi,Abdelrahim Obeid,Mohamed AA El Sheikh,Saad M. Elfadil,and Staffan Bergström.
FGM/C Type(s): All
Health area of focus: Gynaecological.
Objective: To investigate this possible association between FGM and primary infertility.
Study Population: Cases: Females with primary infertility not caused by hormonal or iatrogenic factors (previous abdominal surgery),or the result of male-factor infertility. Controls: primigravidae women recruited from antenatal care
Findings: Of the 99 infertile women examined,48 had adnexal pathology indicative of previous inflammation. After controlling for covariates,these women had a significantly higher risk than controls of having undergone the most extensive form of FGM,involving the labia majora (odds ratio 4.69,95% CI 1.49-19.7). Among women with primary infertility,both those with tubal pathology and those with normal laparoscopy findings were at a higher risk than controls of extensive FGM,both with borderline significance (p=0.054 and p=0.055,respectively). The anatomical extent of FGM,rather than whether or not the vulva had been sutured or closed,was associated with primary infertility. The findings indicated a positive association between the anatomical extent of FGM and primary infertility. Laparoscopic postinflammatory adnexal changes were not the only explanation for this association,since cases without such pathology were also affected.
Geographical coverage
Region(s):Northern Africa
Country(ies):Sudan