"Nurses and Health Professionals Facing Female Genital Mutilation: a Qualitative Study "

Overview

Journal BMC Nurs

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Medical Education

Date 2023 Oct 31

PMID 37904211

Authors

MIdoia Ugarte-Gurrutxaga

Victoria- Mazoteras-Pardo

Gonzalo Melgar de Corral

Brigida Molina-Gallego

Laura Mordillo-Mateos

Sagrario Gomez-Cantarino

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Transnational migratory movements make Spain a country with a very diverse population, including women and girls from countries where Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is practiced. Given this reality, we set out to carry out a qualitative study to identify the knowledge, attitudes and skills of health professionals regarding FGM.

Method: Qualitative study with a content analysis approach. Forty-seven health professionals with the profiles of Nursing, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Midwifery and Gynecology and Obstetrics were purposively selected. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus groups. The qualitative content analysis approach was used for data analysis. The study was conducted in the years 2019 and 2022.

Results: Although most professionals are aware of the current legislation on FGM in Spain, only a few of them are aware of the existence of the FGM prevention protocol in Castilla-La Mancha. This lack of knowledge together with the perception that FGM belongs to the private sphere of women, contributes to the loss of opportunities to identify and prevent FGM.

Conclusion: Health professionals' training, especially midwives and pediatricians, is essential to the identification and action against Female Genital Mutilation.

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