NSG 200 - Female Genital Mutilation in Ethiopia: Risk Factors and Prevention of Mortality. Essay.

FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION IN ETHIOPIA Female Genital Mutilation is the non-medical practice that removes female genital organs. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is comprised of multiple practices that involve pricking, ...

FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION IN ETHIOPIA Female Genital Mutilation is the non-medical practice that removes female genital organs. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is comprised of multiple practices that involve pricking, removing, cutting and occasionally sewing up the external female genitalia (Muteshi, Miller & Belizan, 2016). This is a major global health concern among females and affects approximately 100-140 million girls worldwide, while each year 2 million girls and women are at risk for this practice (Yigra et al.2012). Although the tradition of FGM has been eradicated in many countries it continues to be a prevailing health concern in Africa and major countries including Ethiopia, Sudan and Sierra Leone. This report will focus on the prevalence, risk factors and prevention of mortality in Ethiopia. There are 4 different types of FGM classified by the World Health Organization. Type 1 FGM involves a partial or total removal of the clitoris or prepuce. Type 2 entails partial or total removal of the clitoris and labia minora, this may include excision of the labia majora. Type 3 is infibulation, this involves a narrowing of the vaginal orifice and cutting the labia minora and/or labia majora, which may or may not include excision of the clitoris. Infibulation is considered the most invasive type of female genital mutilation (World Health Organization, 2018). Typically, women will undergo defibulation prior to childbirth and again will undergo reinfibulation again to narrow the vaginal orifice with a covering seal (Banks et al., 2016). Type 4 FGM involves all other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes, this includes pricking, piercing, incising and cauterizing (World Health Organization, 2018). The most common type of FGM practiced in Ethiopia is Type 1 (Chung, 2017). FGM is a prevailing issue associated with morbidity and mortality post-procedure and leads to many complications, including infection, sterility and death. FGM has a long term psychological, sexual and physiological effect on women and girls.