Survey on female genital mutilation/cutting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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Authors
Rouzi, Abdulrahim A.
Berg, Rigmor C.
Alamoudi, Rana
Alzaban, Faten
Sehlo, Mohammad
Issue Date
2019-06-01
Type
Article
Language
en_US
Keywords
Female , Genital , Mutilation , Jeddah , Saudi Arabia , Community Gynecology
Alternative Title
Abstract
Objectives:
The objective of this study was to determine whether female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) exists in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Design:
A cross-sectional study.
Setting:
King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Participants:
Between December 2016 and August 2017, women attending the obstetrics and gynaecology clinics were asked to participate in a cross-sectional survey. This included questions on demographics, FGM/C status and type and attitudes towards the practice.
Results:
In a convenience sample of 963 women aged 18 to 75 years, 175 (18.2%) had undergone FGM/C. Compared with women without FGM/C, women with FGM/C were older, married, non-Saudi and had a lower monthly income. Thirty-seven (21.1%) women had had FGM/C with some cutting of body parts (type I or II), 11 (6.3%) with suturing (type III), 46 (26.3%) with no cutting of body parts (type IV) and 81 (46.3%) did not know their type of FGM/C. There was also a significant association between nationality and age at which FGM/C was performed, with Saudi women undergoing the procedure earlier than Egyptian, Somali, Yemeni and Sudanese women.
Conclusions:
FGM/C is prevalent in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, among immigrant women from other countries, and it is practised among Saudi women. Further research is needed to determine its prevalence.
Description
Citation
Rouzi, A. A., Berg, R. C., Alamoudi, R., Alzaban, F., & Sehlo, M. (2019). Survey on female genital mutilation/cutting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. BMJ open, 9(5), e024684. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024684
Publisher
BMJ Open