Female genital mutilation in Africa: Scoping the landscape of evidence

Experiences of young women who underwent female genital mutilation/cutting

“…Being restrained and scared and in pain could have made it impossible for them to see what was buried in the small hole at the circumcision site. However, clitoridectomy seems to be the most common FGM/C procedure conducted in Africa (Ekenze et al., 2007; Kaplan, Hechavarría, Bernal, & Bonhoure, 2013; Kaplan, Hechavarría, Martín, & Bonhoure, 2011; Obiora, Maree, & Nkosi‐Mafutha, 2019a, 2019b). This could have also applied to our participants but could be mere speculation and should be investigated before conclusions are made.…”

“…Evidence has shown that the reasons for continuing FGM/C are culturally and religiously based (Eleanor, 2015; Mberu, 2017; WHO, 2018). Many people value the tradition and believe it will bring loss of cultural identity should FGM/C be discontinued (Edeh, 2017; Onuoha, 2018), and some communities have even medicalised the practice (Mberu, 2017; Obiora, Maree, & Nkosi‐Mafutha, 2019a, 2019b).…”

“…In a current literature review focusing on work conducted on FGM/C in Africa, the authors found the studies conducted between 2007–2016 primarily investigated the prevalence of FGM/C, the health consequences associated with the practice, the intention to continue FGM/C, motivators and perpetrators for this practice and the association of FGM/C with intimate partner violence. None of the studies focused on the experiences of women who had undergone this procedure (Obiora, Maree, & Nkosi‐Mafutha, 2019a, 2019b). Therefore, the current study is an attempt to address the identified knowledge gap, by answering the following research question: What are the experiences of young women in south‐eastern Nigeria who had undergone FGM/C?…”

“A lot of them have scary tears during childbirth…” experiences of healthcare workers who care for genitally mutilated females

“…Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), also referred to as Female Genital Cutting (FGC) or Female Circumcision (FC), has drawn considerable attention from many organisations and researchers worldwide [ 1 ]. Even though this harmful practice is a contributor to the high morbidity and mortality rates among females, it continues among many ethnic groups, especially in African countries such as Egypt, Ethiopia and Nigeria, as it is based on myths and religion passed from generation to generation [ 2 , 3 ].…”

“…Several studies have reported long- and short-term consequences of FGM/C, which included keloids formation, painful urination, menstrual problems, obstetric fistula, perinatal risks, the risk for infections, prolonged childbirth, need for later surgeries, such as de-infibulation, and psychological problems [ 1 ]. This places a great burden on the health system and the healthcare workers because genitally mutilated females might need special care and medical attention, as the long‐term health problems are in many cases irreversible [ 10 ].…”