Thierfelder Clara, Tanner Marcel, Bodiang Claudia M Kessler
Swiss Centre for International Health, Swiss Tropical Institute.
Eur J Public Health. 2005 Feb;15(1):86-90. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/cki120.
In contrast to other European countries, the Swiss health care system does not deal with the specific needs of women with female genital mutilation (FGM) in a consistent manner, though migrants from countries where FGM is commonly practised are living in Switzerland.
For this study, the interaction of women who had undergone FGM, with the Swiss health services was analysed both from the perspective of the women concerned and that of health care professionals (doctors and midwives). The methods used were mainly qualitative, including focus group discussions with 29 women from Somalia and Eritrea and telephone interviews with 37 health care professionals.
It is estimated that some 6000 girls and women with FGM could be living in Switzerland. The fact that health care providers rarely see such patients and the absence of professional guidelines give rise to misunderstandings. Counselling of the women is often inadequate, and there is a striking lack of communication about FGM between health care providers and users, as well as within the women's communities. As a surprising finding, reinfibulation is carried out in Switzerland when requested by the patient.
This study shows that at present the specific gynaecological and obstetric health care needs of migrant women who have undergone FGM are not adequately addressed in the Swiss health system. The situation could be easily improved by taking into consideration the fairly simple measures suggested by the women and the health care providers taking part in this study.
Due to international migration, female genital mutilation (FGM) has become an issue of increasing concern in host countries such as Switzerland. Objectives of this study were to analyze how immigrant women with FGM experience gynaecological/obstetrical care in the Swiss health care system, and to investigate if gynaecologists/obstetricians and midwives treat and counsel FGM related complications adequately. Specific health care needs of women with FGM should--and easily could--be better considered by the Swiss health care system. Recommended measures include capacity building and professional guidelines on FGM for health care providers; and access to culturally appropriate information and self-help groups for the communities concerned.
与其他欧洲国家不同，瑞士医疗体系并未始终如一地满足接受女性生殖器切割（FGM）女性的特殊需求，尽管来自普遍施行FGM国家的移民生活在瑞士。
在本研究中，从相关女性以及医疗保健专业人员（医生和助产士）的角度，分析了接受FGM女性与瑞士医疗服务之间的互动情况。所采用的方法主要是定性研究，包括与29名索马里和厄立特里亚女性进行焦点小组讨论，以及对37名医疗保健专业人员进行电话访谈。
据估计，瑞士约有6000名接受FGM的女孩和妇女。医疗保健提供者很少见到这类患者，且缺乏专业指南，这导致了误解。对这些女性的咨询往往不足，医疗保健提供者与使用者之间以及女性群体内部在FGM问题上明显缺乏沟通。令人惊讶的是，应患者要求，瑞士会进行重新缝合。
本研究表明，目前瑞士医疗体系未充分满足接受FGM移民女性的特殊妇科和产科医疗保健需求。考虑到参与本研究的女性和医疗保健提供者提出的相当简单的措施，这种情况很容易得到改善。
由于国际移民，女性生殖器切割（FGM）在瑞士等东道国已成为一个日益受到关注的问题。本研究的目的是分析接受FGM的移民女性在瑞士医疗体系中接受妇科/产科护理的体验，并调查妇科医生/产科医生和助产士是否充分治疗和咨询与FGM相关的并发症。瑞士医疗体系应该且很容易能够更好地考虑接受FGM女性的特定医疗保健需求。建议的措施包括为医疗保健提供者开展关于FGM的能力建设和专业指南；以及为相关社区提供符合文化背景的信息和自助团体。
