Female Genital Mutilation

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Female Genital Mutilation

• Summer is for Fun.
• Not for Pain

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What is FGM?

• All procedures which involve the partial or total
  removal of the external genitalia or injury to
  the female genital organs whether for cultural or
  any other non-therapeutic reasons
• The World Health Organisation

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Types of FGM

• Type 1 - removal of the clitoral hood with or
  without the removal of the clitoris
• Type 2 - removal of the clitoris and partial or
  total removal of the vaginal lips
• Type 3 - removal of the clitoris, vaginal lips
  and the stitching of the vagina, leaving a 1-2cm
  opening
• Type 4 - piercing the clitoris, cauterisation,
  cutting the vagina, inserting corrosive substances

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Who is at risk?

• 2 million girls around the world every year are
  mutilated
• Mainly African and Middle Eastern countries and
  alarmingly now in the immigrant population of
  Europe, America and Australia
• It is estimated that as many as 20,000 girls are
  at risk of FGM within the UK every year
• Any girl is at risk usually between 4-14

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Female Genital Cutting Areas of Practice - TYPE
II Type II involves the partial or entire removal
of the clitoris, as well as the scraping off of
the labia majora and labia minora .
                                                  
                                                  
       Return to Introduction
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Communities at Risk 28 practising countries in
Africa

• Djibouti 98
• Somalia 97
• Sierra Leone 90
• Ethiopia - 79.9
• Sudan 90
• Guinea 98.6
• In Middle East Egypt 97

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How is FGM carried out?

• Varies from community to community but generally
  by an elder woman in the community using
  non-sterile, blunt instruments without
  anaesthetic
• UK girls are taken on holiday to become a woman
• Communities in the UK are believed to have their
  own practitioners here
• Some doctors will do this under anaesthetic

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Why is FGM carried out?

• Religion is NOT a basis for FGM
• Cultural identity A tribal initiation into
  adulthood
• Gender Identity Moving from girl to woman
  enhancing femininity
• Sexual control believed to reduce the womans
  desire for sex and therefore the possibility of
  sex outside marriage
• Hygiene/cleanliness unmutilated women are
  regarded as unclean and not allowed to handle
  food or water

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Health Consequences Short term

• Haemorrhage
• Severe pain shock
• Urine retention
• Infection including tetanus HIV
• Injury to adjacent tissue
• Fracture or dislocation to limbs as a result of
  restraint

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Health Consequences

• Long-Term
• Difficulty with passing urine chronic urinary
  tract infections which can lead to renal problems
  or renal failure
• Difficulties with menstruation
• Acute chronic pelvic infections which can lead
  to infertility
• Sexual dysfunction/Psychological/Flashbacks
• Complications during pregnancy
• Chronic scar formations

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Human Rights

• Female Genital Mutilation is a fundamental human
  rights issue with adverse health and social
  implications (it) violates the rights of girls
  and women to bodily integrity and results in
  perpetuating gender inequality
• UK All Parliamentary Group on Population
  Development and Reproductive Health (2000)

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Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003

• Offence to commit FGM
• Offence to aid, abet, counsel or procure a girl
  to commit FGM
• Offence for someone in the UK to aid, abet,
  counsel or procure FGM outside of UK that is
  carried out by a person who isnt a UK national
  or resident
• Any act done outside UK by UK National or resident

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Indications that FGM may be about to take place..

• The family come from a community that is known to
  practise FGM
• Parents state they will take the child out of the
  country for a prolonged period
• A child may talk about a long holiday to a
  country where the practice is prevalent
• A child may confide that she is to have a
  special procedure or celebration

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Indications that FGM may have already taken
place..

• A child may spend long periods of time away from
  the classroom during the day with bladder or
  menstrual problems
• Prolonged absences from School plus a noticeable
  behaviour change
• The child requiring to be excused from physical
  exercise without the support of their GP

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What do I do?

• You must inform your designated child protection
  Advisor
• They must make a referral to the Local Authority
  Childrens Social Care

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Female Genital Mutilation

• Summer is for FunNot for Pain
• The school summer holidays are a time when it is
  known that girls are taken out of the country to
  undergo FGM
• Report any concerns. Child protection is
  everyones responsibility
• FGM is a serious crime and can be fatal

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Female Genital Mutilation

• CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND
• Project AZURE
• Information Line 020 7161 2888
• scd5mailbox-azure_at_met.police.uk