Female Genital Mutilation – Recent Literature Review

Research Question (RQ): FGM represents a global concern as 63 million more girls could be subjected to FGM by 2050. It is a deeply embedded cultural tradition that holds a symbolic meaning in numerous communities and is practiced in rural and urban areas. Purpose: The objective of this paper was to review the current literature on female genital mutilation consequences, to describe and critically assess the theoretical and methodological approaches to treatment options and to describe and assess different methods that aim to stop or reduce the continuation od FGM. Method: We carried out a literature review of articles published in the last 10 years. Included articles studied consequences following FGM, treatment options and different methods to stop or reduce the continuation of FGM. Literature search was conducted on the following databases PubMed, PEDro, Cochrane database, CINAHL and Medline. Results: Globally the prevalence is declining, as many actions from legal to community based programmes are being proposed. There are many known consequences that can be divided in to two groups: short and long term. Treatment options are t well documented in the literature, but published studies are of poor quality. Nevertheless there are many treatment options and guidelines on how to treat women with FGM. Organization: Health care professional should be well informed and sensitive to properly treat women with FGM. They should also inform women about possible consequences and legal aspects. Society: Society should be informed about this procedure and should encourage open communication within the society, especially between men and women. Originality: This article offers a new and recent prospective of FGM, consequences and treatment options as well as what we can do to stop this practice. Limitations / further research: Limitations of this review include the risk of bias, because it is not possible to identify and retrieve all studies. Future research should be of better quality and should focus especially on treatment options