Hussein Hamad Abdulqader, Mirkhan Ahmed Hamdia, Fattah Hajimam Aveen, Ali Ahmed N, Saber Abdulmalik F
Department of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, College of Nursing, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, IRQ.
Department of Maternity Nursing, College of Health Sciences, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, IRQ.
Cureus. 2024 Jul 19;16(7):e64881. doi: 10.7759/cureus.64881. eCollection 2024 Jul.
Female genital circumcision (FGC), a prevalent practice in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, has significant psychosocial and sexual implications for affected women. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate these impacts among circumcised and non-circumcised Kurdish women.
This comparative study was conducted from January 2 to June 27, 2023, at the Al Mesalla for Human Rights Improvement organization in Erbil, Iraq. Purposive sampling was used to collect data using a comprehensive questionnaire. The questionnaire included demographic information, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), and the New Sexual Satisfaction Scale-Short Form (NSSS-S). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 26 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY), with frequency and percentage used for categorical variables and mean and standard deviation for quantitative variables. Independent sample t-tests and Chi-square tests were conducted to compare groups. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
A total of 772 participants were enrolled in the study, including 382 circumcised and 390 non-circumcised women. The study found significant differences between the two groups in terms of depression, self-esteem, and sexual satisfaction. Circumcised women had higher mean scores for depression (12.19 ± 5.6 vs. 10.68 ± 5.3), lower mean scores for self-esteem (24.4 ± 12.1 vs. 30.3 ± 10.1), and lower mean scores for sexual satisfaction (52.4 ± 24.6 vs. 67.6 ± 20.4) compared to non-circumcised women (all p < 0.001).
The study demonstrated that FGC is associated with higher levels of depression, lower self-esteem, and lower sexual satisfaction among Kurdish women. It is recommended for policymakers and healthcare providers to develop targeted interventions to address the psychosocial and sexual health needs of circumcised women in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
女性生殖器切割（FGC）在伊拉克库尔德地区是一种普遍的做法，对受影响的女性具有重大的心理社会和性方面的影响。因此，本研究旨在调查接受过和未接受过切割的库尔德女性中的这些影响。
本比较研究于2023年1月2日至6月27日在伊拉克埃尔比勒的人权改善组织Al Mesalla进行。采用目的抽样法，使用一份综合问卷收集数据。问卷包括人口统计学信息、抑郁、焦虑和压力量表（DASS - 21）、罗森伯格自尊量表（RSE）以及新的性满意度量表简表（NSSS - S）。使用SPSS 26版（IBM公司，纽约州阿蒙克）进行统计分析，分类变量采用频率和百分比，定量变量采用均值和标准差。进行独立样本t检验和卡方检验以比较组间差异。p值小于0.05被认为具有统计学意义。
共有772名参与者纳入研究，其中382名接受过切割的女性和390名未接受过切割的女性。研究发现两组在抑郁、自尊和性满意度方面存在显著差异。与未接受过切割的女性相比，接受过切割的女性抑郁平均得分更高（12.19 ± 5.6对10.68 ± 5.3），自尊平均得分更低（24.4 ± 12.1对30.3 ± 10.1），性满意度平均得分更低（52.4 ± 24.6对67.6 ± 20.4）（所有p < 0.001）。
该研究表明，女性生殖器切割与库尔德女性中更高水平的抑郁、更低的自尊和更低的性满意度相关。建议政策制定者和医疗服务提供者制定有针对性的干预措施，以满足伊拉克库尔德地区接受过切割的女性的心理社会和性健康需求。
