Female Genital Self-Image in Women With and Without Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Introduction: The consequences of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) on female genital self-image are not known. Aim: To assess whether women with and without FGM/C differed with regard to female genital self-image. Methods: A survey was administered to a group of women attending the King Abdulaziz University Hospital obstetrics and gynecology clinic from December 2016 to August 2017. 963 consecutive adult women seen at the clinic completed the survey. Main outcome measures: The main outcome measure of this study was female genital self-image being assessed with the female genital self-image scale (FGSIS). Results: One-fifth (18.2%) of the women self-reported having undergone FGM/C as young girls. Women with FGM/C had a similar FGSIS score as women with no FGM/C (21.3 ± 4.6, n = 175 vs 21.6 ± 4.8, n = 756, analysis of variance, P =.37). In multivariate regression analysis, only level of education remained independently associated with the FGSIS score. Women with some university education had a greater mean FGSIS score than women with no university education (22.1 ± 4.49, n = 564 vs 20.8 ± 5.03, n = 399, P