title: Female genital mutilation in infants and young girls: report of sixty cases observed at the general hospital of abobo (abidjan, cote d'ivoire, west Africa).
abstract: The practice of female genital mutilations continues to be recurrent in African communities despite the campaigns, fights, and laws to ban it. A survey was carried out in infants and young girls at the General Hospital of Abobo in Cote D'Ivoire. The purpose of the study was to describe the epidemiological aspects and clinical findings related to FGM in young patients. Four hundred nine (409) females aged from 1 to 12 years and their mothers entered the study after their consent. The results were that 60/409 patients (15%) were cut. The majority of the young females came from Muslim families (97%); the earlier age at FGM procedure in patients is less than 5 years: 87%. Amongst 409 mothers, 250 women underwent FGM which had other daughters cut. Women were mainly involved in the FGM and their motivations were virginity, chastity, body cleanliness, and fear of clitoris similar to penis. Only WHO types I and II were met. If there were no incidental events occurred at the time of the procedure, the obstetrical future of these young females would be compromised. With FGM being a harmful practice, health professionals and NGOs must unite their efforts in people education to abandon the procedure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, General Hospital of Abobo, 14 PB 125 Abidjan 14, Cote D'Ivoire ; Department of Pediatrics, University Teaching Hospital of Bouake, 01 BP 1174 Bouake 01, Cote D'Ivoire.
authors.forename: Kouie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Plo
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, General Hospital of Abobo, 14 PB 125 Abidjan 14, Cote D'Ivoire.
authors.forename: Kouadio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Asse
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, General Hospital of Abobo, 14 PB 125 Abidjan 14, Cote D'Ivoire.
authors.forename: Dohagneron
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Seï
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, General Hospital of Abobo, 14 PB 125 Abidjan 14, Cote D'Ivoire.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yenan
references.citation: Afr J Reprod Health. 2006 Aug;10(2):13-7
references.pmid: 17217113
references.citation: Cult Health Sex. 2005 Sep-Oct;7(5):463-77
references.pmid: 16864216
references.citation: Bull World Health Organ. 2008 Apr;86(4):269-74
references.pmid: 18438515
references.citation: Stud Fam Plann. 1999 Sep;30(3):219-30
references.pmid: 10546313
references.citation: East Afr Med J. 2000 May;77(5):268-72
references.pmid: 12858919
references.citation: Am J Psychiatry. 2005 May;162(5):1000-2
references.pmid: 15863806
references.citation: Sex Transm Infect. 2003 Jun;79(3):220-3
references.pmid: 12794206
references.citation: AIDS Patient Care STDS. 1999 Dec;13(12):709-16
references.pmid: 10743534
references.citation: Ghana Med J. 2006 Sep;40(3):87-92
references.pmid: 17299573
references.citation: Trop Med Int Health. 2002 Jan;7(1):91-100
references.pmid: 11851959
references.citation: Trop Med Int Health. 2001 Aug;6(8):643-53
references.pmid: 11555430
references.citation: Pediatrics. 2010 May;125(5):1088-93
references.pmid: 20421257
references.citation: Afr J Reprod Health. 2009 Mar;13(1):17-25
references.pmid: 20687262