Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Midwifery Department, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Reprod Health. 2023 Apr 12;20(1):59. doi: 10.1186/s12978-022-01561-0.
The conflicting evidence on the relationship between female genital mutilation/ cutting (FGM/C) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be due to the differences in the prevalence and type of FGM/C in different societies. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence and severity of PTSD and its associated factors among Iranian women with genital mutilation.
This cross-sectional study was performed on 155 women with genital mutilation aged 18-45 years referred to the health centers in Mahabad, located in west of Iran from October 2020 to April 2021. The participants were selected using convenience sampling method. After obtaining the informed consent form from the participants, the first researcher in the presence of a gynecologist determined the type of genital mutilation through the gynecological examination. The data were collected using demographic and obstetric characteristics and post-traumatic stress disorder checklist (PCL5) and analyzed using SPSS software. Further, independent t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multivariate linear regression were used.
All 155 women (100%) had type 1 genital mutilation. Six women (3.9%) had PTSD. The mean (SD) score of the PTSD symptoms among the women was 27.73 (6.79) in the attainable score of 0-80. The age at FGM/C, level of education, and type of residence were considered as the predictors of the severity of the symptoms of PTSD, as explaining 48.1% of the variance.
In the present study, the prevalence and severity of PTSD among the participants were relatively low, which may be due to convenience sampling method used in the study, the limited injury in genitalia, and the social acceptance of the practice. The results indicated that the severity of the PTSD symptoms enhanced by increasing age at FGM/C and decreasing socio-economic levels. It is recommended to conduct the similar studies among women with other types of FGM/C.
女性外阴残割/切割（FGM/C）与创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）之间的矛盾证据可能是由于不同社会中 FGM/C 的流行率和类型不同所致。本研究旨在评估伊朗接受外阴残割的女性 PTSD 的流行率和严重程度及其相关因素。
这是一项横断面研究，于 2020 年 10 月至 2021 年 4 月期间在伊朗西部的马哈巴德健康中心对 155 名年龄在 18-45 岁之间的接受外阴残割的女性进行了研究。采用便利抽样法选择参与者。在获得参与者的知情同意书后，由第一研究员在妇科医生的协助下通过妇科检查确定外阴残割的类型。使用人口统计学和产科特征以及创伤后应激障碍检查表（PCL5）收集数据，并使用 SPSS 软件进行分析。进一步使用独立 t 检验、方差分析、皮尔逊相关系数和多元线性回归。
所有 155 名女性（100%）均为 1 型外阴残割。6 名女性（3.9%）患有 PTSD。女性 PTSD 症状的平均（SD）得分为 27.73（6.79），得分范围为 0-80。FGM/C 年龄、教育水平和居住类型被视为 PTSD 症状严重程度的预测因子，解释了 48.1%的方差。
在本研究中，参与者 PTSD 的患病率和严重程度相对较低，这可能是由于研究中使用了便利抽样法、生殖器损伤有限以及该实践的社会接受度所致。结果表明，FGM/C 年龄增加和社会经济水平降低会导致 PTSD 症状加重。建议在其他类型的 FGM/C 女性中开展类似的研究。
