Female genital mutilation - Experience of The Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne

This study was performed to improve our knowledge and understanding of the needs of women affected by female genital mutilation. We looked at the type s of complications of these practices which present to a large metropolitan women's hospital in order to determine how we can appropriately treat and support affected women. This was an observational study of women from count ries with a high prevalence of female genital mutilation who presented to t he Royal Women's Hospital between October, 1995 and January, 1997. Fifty on e patients with a past history of female genital mutilation who were attend ing the hospital for antenatal or gynaecological care consented to particip ate in the study. We found that 77.6% of women identified as having had fem ale genital mutilation had undergone infibulation. More than 85% of the wom en in our study reported a complication of the procedure. The major complic ations were dyspareunia, apareunia and urinary tract infections; 29.4% of t hese women required surgery to facilitate intercourse. In our study group t here was no difference in Caesarean section Fates between the women who had previously delivered in Australia compared with those who had delivered in Africa. Women who have had a female genital mutilation procedure have spec ific needs for their care which present challenges to both their general pr actitioners and obstetrician/gynaecologists. These women have significant c omplications related to their procedure including social and psychosexual p roblems which require sympathetic management.