Objective To investigate the sexual quality of life of women who have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM) and compare them with a similar group who has not undergone FGM.Design Case-control study.Setting A large central London teaching hospital.Population A total of 73 women who had undergone FGM and 37 control women, who had not undergone FGM but were from a similar cultural background where FGM is practiced.Methods The women completed a questionnaire containing the Sexual Quality of Life-Female (SQOL-F) questionnaire.Main outcome measures SQOL-F score.Results Women who have undergone FGM of any type have a significantly lower (P < 0.001) overall SQOL-F score than control women (mean = 62.44, SD = 27.93 versus mean = 88.84, SD = 13.73). Women who were sexually active and had undergone FGM type III differed the most from sexually active controls (P < 0.05) in their SQOL-F score. Women who were sexually inactive but who had undergone FGM reported significantly lower overall SQOL-F scores (P = 0.015) than sexually inactive controls, but were not differentiated by type of FGM.Conclusion FGM significantly reduces women's sexual quality of life, based on the results of the SQOL-F questionnaire.

Objectives To analyse the sources and reasons for referral of women who have undergone genital mutilation to a recently established specialist clinic, and to determine the consequences of the genital mutilation procedure. Design Retrospective descriptive case series.Setting The maternity units of Guy's and St. Thomas's Hospital, London.Population One hundred and sixteen women attending the clinic over a one-year period. Main outcome measures (1) sources and reasons for referral to the specialist clinic; (2) characteristics of the women attending the clinic; (3) acute and chronic complications of the genital mutilation procedure; (4) attitudes towards female genital mutilation. Results Complete case records were available for 108 women. Of the 86 women who could remember the procedure, 78% were performed by a medically unquali®ed person, usually at home (71%), at a median age of seven years. Acute and chronic complications were each present in 86% of women with Type III genital mutilation. Most women (82%) were referred by their midwife because they were pregnant, of whom 48% were primigravid. Eighteen non-pregnant women also attended the clinic to request either de®bulation or for advice. None of the 89 pregnant women requested re-in®bulation after delivery, but almost 6% were seriously considering having their daughter undergo genital mutilation outside the United Kingdom. In addition, fewer than 10% of the women refused to continue the tradition of female genital mutilation. Conclusions During its ®rst year, the recently established African Well Woman Clinic has provided specialist care for 116 women with genital mutilation. Such women may attend with a variety of common medical or psychiatric conditions and often do not volunteer that they have undergone the procedure. Doctors and midwives in particular, should enquire speci®cally about genital mutilation when caring for women from high risk countries, and offer the services of specialist clinics for female genital mutilation.

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Objectives To analyse the sources and reasons for referral of women who have undergone genital mutilation to a recently established specialist clinic, and to determine the consequences of the genital mutilation procedure. Design Retrospective descriptive case series. Setting The maternity units of Guy's and St. Thomas's Hospital, London. Population One hundred and sixteen women attending the clinic over a one-year period. Main outcome measures (1) sources and reasons for referral to the specialist clinic; (2) characteristics of the women attending the clinic; (3) acute and chronic complications of the genital mutilation procedure; (4) attitudes towards female genital mutilation. Results Complete case records were available for 108 women. Of the 86 women who could remember the procedure, 78% were performed by a medically unquali®ed person, usually at home (71%), at a median age of seven years. Acute and chronic complications were each present in 86% of women with Type III genital mutilation. Most women (82%) were referred by their midwife because they were pregnant, of whom 48% were primigravid. Eighteen non-pregnant women also attended the clinic to request either de®bulation or for advice. None of the 89 pregnant women requested re-in®bulation after delivery, but almost 6% were seriously considering having their daughter undergo genital mutilation outside the United Kingdom. In addition, fewer than 10% of the women refused to continue the tradition of female genital mutilation. Conclusions During its ®rst year, the recently established African Well Woman Clinic has provided specialist care for 116 women with genital mutilation. Such women may attend with a variety of common medical or psychiatric conditions and often do not volunteer that they have undergone the procedure. Doctors and midwives in particular, should enquire speci®cally about genital mutilation when caring for women from high risk countries, and offer the services of specialist clinics for female genital mutilation.

Female genital mutilation is a deeply rooted practice in some communities, but can cause severe physical and psychological harm to those involved. In this article, the author discusses the role of the professional, emphasising the importance of education and the need for family and community engagement. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Interface Ltd