Healthcare Professionals' Views on Female Genital Mutilation
Author Information
Author(s): Adriana Kaplan-Marcusan, Pere Torán-Monserrat, Juana Moreno-Navarro, Ma Jose Castany Fàbregas, Laura Muñoz-Ortiz
Primary Institution: Autonomous University of Barcelona
Hypothesis
What are the perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, and practices of primary healthcare professionals regarding Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)?
Conclusion
Healthcare professionals are increasingly detecting cases of FGM, but many still lack adequate knowledge about its typology and the countries where it is practiced.
Supporting Evidence
- 80% of professionals responded in 2001, and 62% in 2004.
- Detection of cases increased from 5.9% in 2001 to 16.3% in 2004.
- Less than 40% of professionals correctly identified the typology of FGM.
Takeaway
Doctors and nurses are starting to notice more cases of Female Genital Mutilation, but many still don't know enough about it.
Methodology
A cross-sectional study using self-administered questionnaires distributed to primary healthcare professionals.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to self-reported data and the lack of a structured training program on FGM.
Limitations
The anonymity of the questionnaire prevented paired analysis between the two years, and not all questions were consistent across the years.
Participant Demographics
Participants included family physicians, paediatricians, nurses, midwives, and gynaecologists from 13 healthcare centres.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
[0.8–4.4]
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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