The new FGM clinic is welcome but GPs must help as well
IT HAS been 24 years since my first interaction with the National Health Service as a result of female genital mutilation. I was just 11 when I was admitted to hospital for a deinfibulation, a procedure which helps divide scar tissue and which saved my life [“First walk-in clinic for FGM survivors opens at east London hospital”, June 19].
As the NHS turns 70 this year its patients and services have changed with the times. Just two weeks ago I was holding my best mate’s hand as she had her deinfibulation a stone’s throw away from King’s Road. With close to 140,000 women and girls living in the UK with FGM and with many of us being British taxpayers it’s great to finally see services catering to our needs.
I welcome the news of the first walkin clinic for FGM survivors. But I have found recently that getting treatment for complications resulting from
FGM if you are not pregnant is close to impossible. GPs are not aware of the issue or of the pathways set up by the Department of Health. This new clinic will be a literal life-saver for many, but we must also not look to it as the answer. FGM is a complex issue and women in need of treatment should be able to get the support and follow up care from their GP. We also have to ensure that data is recorded and shared and that anyone with children is followed up.
FGM is one of the most extreme forms of violence against women and many of those seeking treatment will be and are British.
Nimco Ali
ANYTHING that makes it easier for women and girls who have been through the horrific experience of FGM to get help is welcome. News of the dedicated service at Whipps Cross University Hospital in Leytonstone is positive. As you say, this clinic could be a literal lifesaver.
Since the Evening Standard began campaigning against female genital mutiliation, awareness of the issue has dramatically improved. Most readers know what the term “FGM” means without needing a full written explanation in each story. There is also more awareness among teachers, doctors, nurses and social workers, who are now obliged to report cases of child FGM to the police. But as you point out, not all professionals are as familiar with the issues as they could be.
Despite FGM being illegal in this country, there have so far been no convictions in the courts. Survivors often avoid being examined by health professionals because of fear and psychological trauma.
More needs to be done to smash the taboo surrounding the subject and bring it out into the open.
Anna