22 PROFESSIONAL
Female genital mutilation
Nurses are required to be vigilant for evidence of FGM but need to appreciate the cultural complexities that influence those subjected to it . Allie Anderson reports
Back in March 2019 , a woman from Walthamstow , in north-east London , was jailed for 11 years after being found guilty of performing female genital mutilation ( FGM ) on her three-year-old daughter . It was the UK ’ s first and , to date , only successful conviction for the practice ; three previous prosecutions had all ended in acquittal .
In the aftermath of the decision , hopes were raised that the high-profile case would serve as a deterrent against FGM – a form of child abuse – and that fewer girls would be subjected to it . Official data would seem to suggest that positive effect has taken place .
Figures from NHS Digital say the incidence of FGM in England is at its lowest since records began in 2015 , when the Serious Crime Act 2015 made it mandatory for regulated
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Go online to read more professional pieces bit . ly / 2GKO7xk health , social care , and teaching professionals to report it . The number of newly recorded cases of FGM in 2020 was 2,790 – a fall of more than a quarter ( 28 %) compared with the 3,850 cases recorded in 2019 . 1
However , there is concern that rather than representing a genuine decline in FGM , the figures could simply mean more cases are going unreported .
What is certain is that this form of abuse isn ’ t restricted to the 27 African countries and the parts of Asia and the Middle East where it ’ s concentrated . 2 It happens among diaspora communities throughout the UK and can have a devastating , lifelong impact on the lives of girls and women .
As well as being vigilant for the clinical presentations and health implications , nurses and midwives must also understand the cultural complexities that surround FGM . nursinginpractice . com Summer 2021