Airing Pain 71: Protect our Girls

Persistent pain and the fight to end female genital mutilation

[Tafadhali bofya hapa ili kusoma nukuu ya nakala ya programu hii iliyofasiriwa kwa Kiswahili.]

This edition has been funded by a grant from Rosa: The UK fund for women and girls

Over 100,000 women in the UK have been affected by female genital mutilation (FGM) with devastating long-term consequences including persistent pain. Janet Graves hears from FGM survivors and the healthcare professionals treating them about this culturally-embedded practice and how to uproot it.

Hana Gilbremedhen and Valentine Nkoyo speak about the impact being cut as children has had on their psychological and physical health as well as their relationships. Nkoyo also explains how her Mojato Foundation is working to mobilise opposition to FGM from within the communities affected.

Gilbremedhen’s experience of undiagnosed chronic pain after FGM highlights the lack of knowledge among healthcare professionals. Clinics with experience in seeing women with FGM are vital, says Specialist Midwife Juliet Albert, if they are to get the care they need. Midwife, ‘fighter’ against FGM and founder of the Hope Clinic Aïssa Eden shares her story and stresses the importance of education in ensuring the safety of the next generation.

Issues covered in this programme include: FGM: female genital mutilation, women’s pain, women and girls, pelvic pain, urogenital pain, trauma, PTSD, mental health, childbirth, pregnancy, menstruation and periods.

Contributors:

• Juliet Albert, Specialist FGM Midwife, Queen Charlotte Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Project Lead at the Acton African Well Woman Clinic
• Valentine Nkoyo, Mojatu Foundation, Nottingham
• Hana Gibremedhen, Mojatu Foundation, Nottingham
• Aïssa Eden, Specialist Midwife.

More information:

• For a comprehensive list of FGM clinics and resources visit forwarduk.org.uk
• The Mojato Foundation: valentinenkoyo.com
• The Hope Clinic: fgmhopeclinic.co.uk
• For more information about FGM, please see our FGM factsheet
• Read more about this issue in this article from Pain Matters issue 62
• To visit the Pain Concern Forum, where members offer support and share their experiences of living in pain, click here.