Female genital mutilation A public health approach

No benefits, only harm
FGM has no medical justification and no health benefits. Rather, it increases the risks of physical, mental and sexual health complications, both in the short-term and in the long-term. It involves removing and   injuring healthy and normal female genital tissue, interfering with the natural functions of girls' and women's bodies. It is a harmful practice and is unacceptable from a human rights and public health perspective.

WHO is opposed to all forms of FGM. 

The importance of health care providers to “do no harm”
In the recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the proportion of FGM carried out by trained health care personnel (a phenomenon known as medicalization of FGM). In many settings, health care providers perform FGM due to the belief that it is safer when medicalized. However, WHO is strongly opposed to health professionals performing FGM and urges all health workers to uphold the medical code of ethics to “do no harm”. Medicalization of FGM normalizes and condones the practice, and hinders long term efforts for abandoning this grave violation of the human rights of women and girls.

Health care providers as agents for change
WHO recognises the important role that health care personnel play in supporting and improving the health and well-being of girls and women living with FGM. Moreover, WHO acknowledges the unique position that midwives and nurses may have to influence and change attitudes towards FGM amongst their patients because of their close contact with practicing communities and since they provide the majority of health care in primary health care settings. WHO aims to help empower health providers through strengthening their knowledge about the practice, so that they in turn can act as influential agents for change.

WHO efforts to preventing and treating FGM
WHO uses a public health approach to FGM and works to ensure that girls and women living with FGM receive quality medical care and counselling, as well to develop evidence and advocacy tools to support efforts to prevent FGM. Efforts include:

developing guidelines, tools, training and policy to ensure that health professionals can provide medical care and counselling to girls and women living with FGM;
building evidence about the causes and consequences of the practice, including why health care professionals carry out procedures;
strengthening person-centered communications and personal skills needed by nurses and midwives to communicate effectively, empathically and in a sensitive way when discussing FGM and offering prevention services;
developing publications and advocacy tools for international, regional and local efforts to end FGM, including tools for policy makers and advocates to estimate the health burden of FGM and the potential public health benefits and cost savings of preventing FGM.