Fanta Kaloma
Country: Nigeria
Background:
Research Project: Female genital mutilation: Investigating knowledge and experiences of nurses and midwives in Ireland.
FGM is defined as any procedure that involves the process of cutting, mutilation or causing injury to some or all parts of the female external genitalia .This practice is carried out throughout the world, but its practice is most prevalent in Africa, where it is thought to exist in up to twenty eight countries.
In recent years, there has been a huge increase in African immigrants arriving in Ireland. Anecdotal evidence suggests that women with FGM are presenting to Irish health care services. However, no studies have been done in Ireland to examine the experiences of midwives and nurses and their encounters of dealing with women who have undergone FGM.
In this study an anonymous self-administered questionnaire was used to determine the knowledge and experiences of midwives and nurses in relation to FGM in the two largest maternity hospitals. It was found that although there was a good general awareness of the existence of FGM, who performs it, instruments used to practice it and the age at which it is performed on women and girls, the nurses and midwives showed very little understanding on the definition, the different types and what was involved in the different classes of FGM. A substantial number of nurses admitted that they did not feel confident in clinically managing women who had undergone the procedure of genital mutilation. Therefore these health care professionals were strongly in favor of improving training, support structure and the development of specialist services that would deal with FGM in Ireland.
Keywords: Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C); Circumcision;
Midwives; Nurses