The medicalisation of female genital cutting

Harm reduction or social norm

Datos Bibliográficos

ID2249772
AutoresN Van Eekert (0000-0002-5508-1018, Centre for Population, Family and Health University of Antwerp Antwerp Belgium, autor de correspondencia), Buffel (0000-0001-6602-9525, Centre for Population, Family and Health University of Antwerp Antwerp Belgium), Sara De Bruyn (0000-0003-0764-9008, Centre for Population, Family and Health University of Antwerp Antwerp Belgium), Sarah Van De Velde (0000-0001-7682-0484, Faculty of Social Sciences Centre for Population Family & Health University of Antwerp Antwerp Belgium)
Año2021
Volumen43
Número2
Páginas263-280
Fecha de publicación2021-02-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaSociology of Health & Illness (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0141-9889 • E-ISSN: 1467-9566
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/1467-9566.13153
PMID32654254
OpenAlexW3041855699
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas3
Referencias citadas27

Today, female genital cutting is increasingly practised by trained healthcare providers. While opposition to medicalised female genital cutting (FGC) is strong, little is known about the underlying motivation for this medicalisation trend in practising communities. We formulated three hypotheses based on medicalisation theories. The medicalisation of FGC: (i) is stratified and functions as a status symbol, (ii) functions as a harm-reduction strategy to conform to social norms while reducing health risks and (iii) functions as a social norm itself. Conducting multilevel multinomial regressions using the 2005, 2008 and 2014 waves of the Egyptian Demographic Health Survey, we examined the relationship between the mother's social position, the normative context in which she lives and her decision to medicalise her daughter's cut, compared to the choice of a traditional or no cut. We found that an individual woman's social position, as well as the FGC prevalence and percentage of medicalisation at the governorate level, was associated with a mother's choice to medicalise her daughter's cut. Further research on factors involved in decision-making on the medicalisation of FGC is recommended, as an in-depth understanding of why the decision is made to medicalise the FGC procedure is relevant to both the scientific field and the broader policy debate

Daughter · Female circumcision · Gynecology · Harm · Harm reduction · Norm (philosophy) · Normative · Political science · Public health · Sociology · Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Issues · Genital Health and Disease · Law · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · Reproductive Health and Contraception · Social Psychology