A discussion of the legal aspects of female genital mutilation

The purpose of this paper is to examine the position of the nurse/midwife i n the United Kingdom when involved with the care of a woman or female child who has suffered genital mutilation, which is an illegal practice in this country and most other areas of the world. The types of circumcision common ly practised are introduced, the prevalent reasons for the continuation of the practice among certain ethnic groups are presented, and the range of is sues to be considered by the nurse is examined. These include international and national legal aspects which do not exist in isolation and are conside red in context with cultural, medical, human rights and gender issues. Nurs ing legal issues include child protection, consent, advocacy and confidenti ality, which invoke the Code Of Professional Conduct of the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing Midwifery & Health Visiting. Midwives and nurse s working in the field of gynaecology have raised questions regarding possi ble courses of action to take when presented with this issue. increased kno wledge can help to inform those decisions. Therefore, implications for futu re practice are addressed, together with recommendations to assist nurses w ith decision making when faced with this scenario in the future.