Citation

Wikholm K, Mishori R, Ottenheimer D, Korostyshevskiy V, Reingold R, Wikholm C, Hampton K. J. Immigr. Minor. Health 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Asylum Program, Physicians for Human Rights, New York, NY, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10903-020-00994-8

PMID

32189161

Abstract

Female Genital Mutilation or Cutting (FGM/C) is a human rights violation used to claim asylum in the US. We sought to understand the nature of these asylum requests. Analysis of 121 FGM/C-focused medical affidavits, and 132 legal case reports. Of 119 eligible affidavits analyzed, 84% were reportedly cut: 4.6% Type I, 84.6% Type II, 16.5% Type III. Average age: 9. Reported acute effects: bleeding (76.3%), infection (27.6%), shock (6.7%), broken bones (2.7%), and hospitalization (2.7%). Reported chronic issues: intercourse difficulty (81.7%), pregnancy complications (54.2%), chronic pain (42.4%), scarring (37.3%), urinary difficulty (31.8%). Psychological consequences included PTSD (72.4%), depression (65.9%), anxiety (51.1%), and lack of trust (10.1%). Co-occurring abuses included domestic violence (62.4%), forced marriage (46%), rape (33.3%), torture (33.3%), child marriage (31.3%), assault due to LGBTQ + status (2.9%). Women claiming asylum based on FGM/C report high rates of chronic health issues. Their histories suggest FGM/C co-occurs with other forms of gender-based violence.

Language: en

Keywords

Asylum; Asylum seekers; Female circumcision; Female genital cutting/mutilation; Forensic evaluation; Gender based violence?; Human rights; Medico-legal; Violence against women