18 EDITORIAL
Nurses are central to tackling FGM
Nurses ’ role in protecting women at risk of FGM is a vital one but requires high levels of sensitivity , writes Emily Twinch
Emily Twinch is the editor of Nursing in Practice
For most parents , the thought of letting someone cut your child with a sharp instrument , let alone cut their genitalia , would be inconceivable . But for some it is a cultural practice – and one they must believe is necessary as it is still happening in the UK , despite being illegal . In 2020 there were 2,790 newly recorded cases of female genital mutilation ( FGM ) in England , which was a drop of 28 % from 2019 . But still 2,790 cases too many .
As our in-depth professional article on page 22 and our piece on the public health role of midwives ( page 26 ) show , healthcare professionals have a central role in spotting the signs of where FGM has happened , and ideally where there is a risk that it might happen . Indeed , they have a legal duty to do so in the case of girls under the age of 18 years .
While FGM rates appear to have gone down during the pandemic , this might be more to do with its being more diffi cult to spot during lockdown than a true fall in the number of incidents . So it is even more important that nurses and midwives are attuned to the signs .
However , cultural and language barriers can make this diffi cult . Mothers who themselves were victims may avoid healthcare appointments if they feel they are seen as potential perpetrators on their daughters . So nurses must not only spot the signs of FGM but treat every possible case extremely sensitively , and use the right words to achieve the best outcomes for patients .
This , of course , is a lot to ask . Mandatory reporting of FGM was controversial before it took effect . Umbrella groups the Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Children ’ s Services wrote to then minister for crime prevention , Lynne Featherstone – a staunch campaigner against FGM over the years – saying the move could create ‘ confusion for both practitioners and victims ’ and carried ‘ signifi cant risks ’. But it did become law in the case of under-18s , and it is crucial that everything possible is done to prevent girls from being harmed by this terrible practice .
Many of the girls subjected to FGM are under the age of fi ve , and not only face immediate physiological and physical pain , but also long-term effects , including epidermal cysts and renal damage . Help is at hand for nurses though : the RCN has guidance , which is signposted in our professional article , while last year the Government also issued guidance for professionals with a duty to report FGM .
The Coalition Government did make progress towards its goal of ending FGM . To quote Ms Featherstone , on International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation in 2019 : ‘ Female genital mutilation is child abuse , and now it is beyond all doubt that it is against the law in the UK .’ Nevertheless , the target remains some distance from being met and we must keep going .
Many girls cut are under the age of fi ve and face longterm effects
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