The Acton Model: support for women with female genital mutilation

Abstract

Objectives To identify the presenting characteristics, needs and clinical management of non-pregnant women with female genital mutilation who attended the Sunflower clinic, a midwife-led specialist service. Methods This was a retrospective case series review examining referral patterns, clinical findings and subsequent management between 1 April 2018 and 31 March 2019.The review was conducted at a multi-disciplinary female genital mutilation clinic for non-pregnant women aged 18 years and over in West London. Results There were 182 attendances at the clinic (88 new patients; 94 follow-up appointments). Almost half (52%) had type 3 mutilation, 32% had type 2; 9% had a history of type 3; 5% had type 1; one had type 4 and one declined assessment. A total of 35 women (40%) disclosed at least one psychological symptom (such as depression, anxiety, flashbacks, nightmares) during initial consultation. Conclusions Non-pregnant women attending female genital mutilation services present with a wide range of psychological and physical problems. Holistic woman-centred models of care appear to facilitate access to deinfibulation and counselling, which in turn may reduce long-term costs to the NHS. Safeguarding is an intrinsic part of midwives' work and is sometimes complex. The authors recommend a revision of the World Health Organization classifications to specify partial or total removal of the clitoral glans (rather than the clitoris as a whole) as this is inaccurate and may have a negative psychological impact for women.