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Female genital mutilation - a blind spot in Dutch general practice? A case-control study
Ramin Kawous1,2, Nigar Kerimova3, Maria Etc van den Muijsenbergh2,3
1Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands r.kawous@outlook.com.
BJGP Open
|December 2, 2020
Summary
Dutch General Practitioners (GPs) rarely register female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) or related health issues. Improved recording of migration background is crucial for identifying and supporting women affected by FGM/C.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- General Practice
- Migration Health
Background:
- Female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) causes significant physical and psychosexual health problems.
- General Practitioners (GPs) are primary points of contact for women experiencing FGM/C-related health issues.
- The extent to which Dutch GPs identify and record FGM/C is largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency of FGM/C registration by Dutch GPs.
- To assess the recording of FGM/C-related health problems in primary care settings.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study utilizing anonymized patient records in the Netherlands.
- Analysis of patient records for country of origin and FGM/C status among women aged 15+ from FGM/C-practicing countries.
Main Results:
- Information on country of origin was infrequently recorded in patient records.
- Only 68 out of 16,700 patients were identified as being from FGM/C-practicing countries.
- FGM/C status was noted in only 12 records, with no details on the type of FGM/C; no significant health differences were found between cases and controls.
Conclusions:
- FGM/C appears to be under-identified by GPs, highlighting a potential blind spot.
- Enhancing the registration of migration background in patient records is recommended.
- GP training should incorporate FGM/C awareness and management of migration-related health issues.
