Female genital mutilation

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a brutal crime that affects women and girls within the UK and worldwide. It is generally performed on pre pubescent children and can lead to severe short and long term physical and psychological conditions. In some cases FGM can lead to the death of the child.

The RCGP views FGM as child abuse, as the child has been subjected to irreparable physical harm, and is committed to its eradication. If it is suspected by a GP that a child has undergone FGM then the parent(s) or guardian(s) should be referred to social services who should have the means to deal with the offence accordingly.

Adult women who are victims of FGM will also require the support of their GP for the long term medical and psychological complications they may experience.

GPs are very important to the recognition and response to FGM. The unique position of a GP, as the expert medical generalist at the heart of the community, means that they are in a strong position to identify FGM, provide support to the affected patient, and refer the case onto the relevant authorities.

Useful resources

• Female genital mutilation: A clinical approach for GPs (PDF file, 338 KB) (currently under review)
• RCGP guidance on mandatory recording via the FGM enhanced dataset (PDF file 85 KB)
• HSCIC document: FGM enhanced dataset, GP approach
• Department of Health guidance and resources on mandatory reporting of FGM in healthcare
• BJGP editorial: Mandatory reporting of female genital mutilation by healthcare professionals

RCGP resources

• Female genital mutilation resource - eLearning
• One day essentials REWIND women's health 2022 - eLearning
• Essential knowledge challenge 15: July 15 - eLearning
• Essential knowledge update 15: April 2015 (reviewed July 2022) - eLearning