ABSTRACT
Objective
To promote the recognition and care of patients with female genital mutilation/cutting
(FGM/C), we aimed to evaluate the awareness, clinical experience and knowledge of
FGM/C among female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery (FPMRS) specialists.
FGM/C is a cultural practice whereby there is removal of external female genitalia
for non-therapeutic reasons. Despite the high prevalence of urogynecologic complications,
there is a paucity of literature discussing FGM/C from the lens of urologists and
urogynecologists.
Methods
By cross-sectional design, we distributed a 27-item survey via email to members of
the Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery. We collected variables pertaining to previous FGM/C education, clinical confidence,
cultural and medical knowledge, and desire for future education.
Results
A total of 54 US-based, mostly urologists and FPMRS specialists, completed the survey.
All providers had heard of FGM/C; however only 13% received formal education during
medical training. Over 50% had encountered a patient with FGM/C in clinical practice.
Only 19% and 13% felt completely confident recognizing and discussing FGM/C, respectively.
Seventy percent believed religious doctrine informed FGM/C practice and 24% correctly
identified FGM/C type on clinical representation. Finally, only 17% of respondents
were aware of FGM/C guidelines, and providers expressed a desire for increased availability
of multimodal resources.
Conclusion
Education regarding FGM/C remains sparse and variable for US FPMRS specialists. Cultural
and clinical knowledge is also lacking, which is a detriment to patient care. In order
to strengthen awareness and knowledge, we must develop high-quality FGM/C educational
resources for urologists and gynecologists.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 07, 2021
Accepted:
October 24,
2021
Received:
August 22,
2021
Footnotes
Financial Disclosure: The authors declare that they have no relevant financial interests.
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 Published by Elsevier Inc.
