Diagnoses and Procedures of Inpatients with Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Swiss University Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Female genital mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) can result in short and long-term complications, which can impact physical, psychological and sexual health. Our objective was to obtain descriptive data about the most frequent health conditions and procedures associated with FGM/C in Swiss university hospitals inpatient women and girls with a diagnosis of FGM/C. Our research focused on the gynaecology and obstetrics departments. Methods: We conducted an exploratory descriptive study to identify the health outcomes of women and girls with a coded FGM/C diagnose who had been admitted to Swiss university hospitals between 2016 and 2018. Four of the five Swiss university hospitals provided anonymized data on primary and secondary diagnoses coded with the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and interventions coded in their medical files. Results: Between 2016 and 2018, 207 inpatients had a diagnosis of FGM/C. The majority (96%) were admitted either to gynaecology or obstetrics divisions with few genito-urinary and psychosexual conditions coded.Conclusions: FGM/C coding capacities in Swiss university hospitals are low, and some complications of FGM/C are probably not diagnosed. Pregnancy and delivery represent key moments to identify and offer medical care to women and girls who live with FGM/C. Trial registration: This cross-sectional study (protocol number 2018-01851) was conducted in 2019, and approved by the Swiss ethics committee.

Female Genital Mutilation, Sexual Quality of Life and Marital Relationship: A Case-Control Study from Iran

“…FGM which is defined as cutting and removing all or a part of the clitoris to removing the large lips of the external genitalia, is almost traumatized and without any health advantage (5,6) and the range of its complications is not only physical (from bleeding, infection to death), but psychological (such as anxiety and post-traumatic stress) and also sexual (7,8). Urinary infections, sexual transmitted diseases, bleeding after intercourse, necrotizing fasciitis and long-term side effects in the form of ascariasis, genital lesion, dyspareunia, and infertility, labor and delivery disorders, and reducing the quality of sexual relations are some complications of female mutilation (9)(10)(11).…”