Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in the United States: Updated Estimates of Women and Girls at Risk, 2012

Abstract

Objectives. In 1996, the U.S. Congress passed legislation making female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) illegal in the United States. CDC published the first estimates of the number of women and girls at risk for FGM/C in 1997. Since 2012, various constituencies have again raised concerns about the practice in the United States. We updated an earlier estimate of the number of women and girls in the United States who were at risk for FGM/C or its consequences.Methods. We estimated the number of women and girls who were at risk for undergoing FGM/C or its consequences in 2012 by applying country-specific prevalence of FGM/C to the estimated number of women and girls living in the United States who were born in that country or who lived with a parent born in that country.Results. Approximately 513,000 women and girls in the United States were at risk for FGM/C or its consequences in 2012, which was more than three times higher than the earlier estimate, based on 1990 data. The increase in the number of women and girls younger than 18 years of age at risk for FGM/C was more than four times that of previous estimates.Conclusion. The estimated increase was wholly a result of rapid growth in the number of immigrants from FGM/C-practicing countries living in the United States and not from increases in FGM/C prevalence in those countries. Scientifically valid information regarding whether women or their daughters have actually undergone FGM/C and related information that can contribute to efforts to prevent the practice in the United States and provide needed health services to women who have undergone FGM/C are needed.

A Meta‐Synthesis of the Birth Experiences of African Immigrant Women Affected by Female Genital Cutting

“…In the United States, two‐thirds of African immigration is from countries where FGC occurs; one‐third of these countries report FGC prevalence of 50% or greater . In 2016, an estimated 513,000 women and girls in the United States immigrated from or were born to a parent from a country that practices FGC . Efforts to improve care for women affected by FGC depend on understanding their perspectives.…”

The School Nurse’s Role in Addressing Female Genital Mutilation

“…According to a 2016 research report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the total number of women and girls at risk for FGM/C has increased in the United States by 224% since 1990 (Goldberg et al, 2016). The number of girls younger than 18 years old has gone from 48,000 in 1990 to 199,000 in 2012, an increase of 151,000 girls or 314% (Goldberg et al, 2016). This increased risk is a clear indicator that students in schools are being affected by this practice.…”

A survey of honor‐related practices among US obstetricians and gynecologists

“…A national survey published in 2007 found that 600–4500 girls younger than 17 years in Sweden were at risk of violence from their families owing to problems related to virginity. Another report estimated that more than 500 000 women and girls in the USA were at risk of FGM in 2012, a rate that was threefold to fourfold higher than that reported in 1990 . Likewise, authorities in the UK reported that approximately 10 000 girls younger than 15 years who had migrated to England and Wales were likely to have previously undergone FGM…”

“…The potential for increased numbers of immigrants and other women with a history of FGM justifies training OBGYNs about suitable management of these cases as part of the residency educational curriculum. Physicians should also be aware that second‐generation immigrants can be at risk of FGM when visiting their parents’ country of origin …”