Varol Nesrin, Hall John J, Black Kirsten, Turkmani Sabera, Dawson Angela
Sydney Medical School, Discipline of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Neonatology, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, UNSW Sydney, 2052, NSW, Australia.
Reprod Health. 2017 May 18;14(1):63. doi: 10.1186/s12978-017-0324-3.
The physical and psychological impact of female genital mutilation / cutting (FGM/C) can be substantial, long term, and irreversible. Parts of the health sector in Australia have developed guidelines in the management of FGM/C, but large gaps exist in community and professional knowledge of the consequences and treatment of FGM/C. The prevalence of FGM/C amongst Australian women is unknown. Our article reviews the literature on research on FGM/C in Australia, which focuses on health system response to women and girls with FGM/C. Recommendations are made for policy reform in health, legislation, and community programs to provide the best healthcare, protect children, and help communities abandon this harmful practice.
Midwives and doctors in Australia acknowledged a lack of knowledge on FGM/C, clinical guidelines and consequences for maternity care. In a metropolitan Australian hospital with specialised FGM/C care, women with FGM/C had similar obstetric outcomes as women without FGM/C, underlining the importance of holistic FGM/C clinics. Greater focus on integration of refugee and migrant populations into their new cultures may be an important way of facilitating the abandonment of this practice, as is education of communities that practise FGM/C, and experts involved in the care and protection of children. Men could be important advocates for protecting women and girls from violence and FGM/C through a man-to-man strategy with programs focussing on men's health and other personal issues, education, and communication. The Australian Government has identified gender-based violence as an area of priority and has been implementing a National plan to reduce violence against women and their children 2010-2022. A multidisciplinary network of experts on FGM/C could be established within this taskforce to develop well-defined and rapid referral pathways to care for and protect these children, as well as coordinate education and prevention programs to help communities abandon this harmful practice.
Countries of migration can be part of the solution for abandonment of FGM/C through community interventions and implementation of national and coordinated training in FGM/C of experts involved in the care and protection of children and women. The global focus on collaboration on research, training and prevention programs should be fostered between countries of FGM/C prevalence and migration.
女性生殖器切割对身体和心理的影响可能是巨大、长期且不可逆转的。澳大利亚部分卫生部门已制定女性生殖器切割管理指南，但社区和专业人士对女性生殖器切割的后果及治疗的了解存在巨大差距。澳大利亚女性中女性生殖器切割的流行率尚不清楚。我们的文章回顾了澳大利亚关于女性生殖器切割的研究文献，重点关注卫生系统对遭受女性生殖器切割的妇女和女孩的应对措施。文章针对卫生、立法和社区项目的政策改革提出了建议，以提供最佳医疗保健、保护儿童并帮助社区摒弃这种有害做法。
澳大利亚的助产士和医生承认缺乏关于女性生殖器切割、临床指南及其对产科护理影响的知识。在澳大利亚一家设有女性生殖器切割专门护理的大都市医院，接受女性生殖器切割的妇女与未接受该手术的妇女的产科结局相似，这凸显了全面的女性生殖器切割诊所的重要性。更加关注将难民和移民群体融入新文化可能是促进摒弃这种做法的重要途径，对实行女性生殖器切割的社区以及参与儿童护理和保护的专家进行教育也是如此。男性可以通过针对男性健康及其他个人问题、教育和沟通的一对一策略，成为保护妇女和女孩免受暴力及女性生殖器切割的重要倡导者。澳大利亚政府已将基于性别的暴力确定为优先领域，并一直在实施一项2010 - 2022年减少对妇女及其子女暴力行为的国家计划。可在该特别工作组内建立一个女性生殖器切割多学科专家网络，以制定明确且快速的转诊途径，为这些儿童提供护理和保护，并协调教育和预防项目，帮助社区摒弃这种有害做法。
移民国家可以通过社区干预以及对参与儿童和妇女护理与保护的专家进行全国性协调的女性生殖器切割培训，成为摒弃女性生殖器切割解决方案的一部分。应在女性生殖器切割流行国家和移民国家之间促进全球在研究、培训和预防项目方面的合作重点。
