Prevalence of female genital mutilation among African women resident in the Swedish county of Östergötland

Abstract

Objectives. To establish the prevalence of female genital mutilation (FGM) among African women resident in the Swedish County of Östergötland and assess the types of FGM. Material and methods. Three hundred and four African women aged ≥ 18 years were domiciled in Östergötland by the end of 1998. The women were invited by letter. A socio-cultural questionnaire designed to give an overall picture of FGM within a socioeconomic context, and also to invite the women to an interview and examination, was sent to all African women in the county of Östergötland. Women who gave their consent (n = 63) underwent a gynecologic examination. Results. The response rate was 84%. According to the questionnaire, 68% of all the African women were genitally mutilated. The clinical examination revealed that 39 women (62%) were mutilated, 17 of them (44%) had undergone removal of part or all external genitalia and stitching ('infibulation'), 26% had undergone removal of the prepuce of the clitoris ('prepucectomy'), 23% had undergone various cultural practices on the external genitalia, and 7.7% excision of the clitoris with partial or total removal of labia minora ('clitoridectomy'). Conclusion. The influx of immigrants to Sweden and the other Scandinavian countries from cultures where FGM is practiced, requires that physicians and other health professionals familiarize themselves with the practice and the cultural beliefs underlying it. Sensitivity to the needs of these women as well as attention to the potential physical hazards posed by the practice are important factors in care.