Female genital mutilation: Experience in a West London clinic

In 1997, a new clinic was established at the Central Middlesex Hospital to serve the needs of a mainly Somali population who had suffered genital mutilation in childhood. Between June 1997 and January 2005, 4,125 clinic attendances were recorded. A total of 215 reversals of circumcision were carried out (FGM 3), all on a day-care basis. In the majority of cases, an intact and undamaged clitoris was found under the scar tissue. The clinic staff were able to draw attention to cultural and religious issues which proved important in the medical management of these women. The experience of this clinic has shown that where there is a large immigrant population of women from the Horn of Africa, clinics such as this are efficient and cost-effective and encourage women to attend with a variety of health concerns. The clinic also encourages these women to take their health concerns seriously.