'Madam, leave me alone', I found myself shouting.
'You want to run eh', she quipped, tightening her grip.

My white and neatly iron ward coat bore the brunt of a 'crime' I didn't know when and where it was committed.

Feeling embarrassed and irritated, I struggled to no avail to free my little self. Thankfully, I was the only one in the Labour room then. My 'usual keep it formal' with all patients was at stake.
'Be empathic and nothing more', I found myself repeating those words but within, I was not even close.

'Madam, you're 4cm dilated and at this rate, I will be dead before delivery. You can walk around a little, or do something else, besides, I have other patients to attend to', I told her as I made one last feeble effort to loosen her hold.

'You're not going anywhere until I see my baby', she retorted, apparently not ready to let go.

She indeed was in pain. The worst case I've seen. She lay on the couch tearing every fiber of her being and ripping her clothings to shreds.
Earlier, she seemed brave when she walked in with whom supposedly is her husband. She cheerfully relieved him of his duties; telling him she will call him to see the baby once it is out.




My first week at work, this can't be happening and this woman is sooooooo taking advantage of my 'need' to impress. I stood
there, helpless for hours . I pleaded with the seemingly irritated attending nurses to allow my tormentor have a field day and instructed them to monitor other patients progress.
I stared deep into her red glistening conjuctiva, cursing myself and swearing never to get to close to the overtly confident expectant mothers. Her husband, the culprit deserves a free day and I don't.

Her pains continued. I had to spare some thoughts for her, 'Madam, I' ll help you get through this.
Each contraction came with bouts of untold agony.

Ten hours later and she was still in labor. Just then, I noticed she was genitally mutilated. Obviously, it is beyond a superficial cut and there maybe scars and possibly, elements of narrowed birth canal.

Thankfully, she had a successful CS.
Her case is only but a tip of the ice berg of the dangers of female genital mutilation.


DISCUSSION

Female genital mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female Instruments, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons(mostly cultural, religious, ethical, etc)

The practice is mostly carried out by traditional circumcisers, who often play other central roles in communities, such as attending childbirths.



Procedures
Female genital mutilation is classified into four major types.

Clitoridectomy: partial or total removal of the clitoris (a small, sensitive and erectile part of the female genitals) and, in very rare cases, only the prepuce (the fold of skin surrounding the clitoris).

Excision: partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora, with or without excision of the labia majora (the labia are "the lips" that surround the vagina).

Infibulation: narrowing of the vaginal opening through the creation of a covering seal. The seal is formed by cutting and repositioning the inner, or outer, labia, with or without removal of the clitoris.

Other: all other harmful procedures to the female Instruments for non-medical purposes, e.g. pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterizing the genital area.


No health benefits, only harm

FGM has no health benefits, and it harms girls and women in many ways. It involves removing and damaging healthy and normal female genital tissue, and interferes with the natural functions of girls' and women's bodies.

What are the complications

Immediate complications:
can include severe pain, shock, haemorrhage (bleeding), tetanus or sepsis (bacterial infection), urine retention, open sores in the genital region and injury to nearby genital tissue.

Long-term consequences can include:

recurrent bladder and urinary tract infections;
cysts;
infertility(inability to bear children);
an increased risk of childbirth complications and newborn deaths;
the need for later surgeries. For example, the FGM procedure that seals or narrows a vaginal opening (type 3 above) needs to be cut open later to allow for sexual intercourse and childbirth. Sometimes it is stitched again several times, including after childbirth, hence the woman goes through repeated opening and closing procedures, further increasing and repeated both immediate and long-term risks.


Who is at risk?

Procedures are mostly carried out on young girls sometime between infancy and age 15, and occasionally on adult women.

Relevance?

Unfortunately, many modern mothers and graduates still inflict this harm on their wards. Reason? I sincerely don't know. Apparently, people are seeking professional medical assistant to carry out this act.

Culled from a friend's diary.

U de write script?

Ok, nyc story,















NEXT

more people needs enlightening

Is female genital mutilation still carried out? I doubt it. Maybe in some remote areas in the north.

5minsmadness:
Is female genital mutilation still carried out? I doubt it. Maybe in some remote areas in the north.

Really

MegMich:



Really

Have u seen any recent ones?

5minsmadness:

Have u seen any recent ones?

I've seen and heard a lot actually.

MegMich:




I've seen and heard a lot actually.

No kidding. Where do you practice?

5minsmadness:

No kidding. Where do you practice?

read the article well sir!

MegMich:




read the article well sir!

I went thru the article again like u suggested. I saw nowhere where u mentioned your place of work. You Culled the topic from a friend's diary but said u had SEEN and heard about a lot of recent fgms.

So I ask again. Where do you practice? Or are you not a medical person?

5minsmadness:
Is female genital mutilation still carried out? I doubt it. Maybe in some remote areas in the north.

A few years ago, a colleague was going to do it to her daughter. She's Igbo, now she would be mid-30s. When she was discussing it, she said it would make the daughter "decent and able to control herself" and a lot of women on that conversation agreed with her, one citing one uncut girl she knew who couldn't control her urges. My cousin had a daughter this year and her mum said "oh she won't be cut but use hot water to press it so it looks neat and that is less painful than cutting." Even i recall a while back on NL this year, someone complained that his grandma took his 7 year old sister to cut her and his mum couldnt stop her. it's a mental cultural thing. You would be shocked at the number of people still cutting and they are not village folk, they genuinely believe it controls a woman's sexuality.

Onegai:


A few years ago, a colleague was going to do it to her daughter. She's Igbo, now she would be mid-30s. When she was discussing it, she said it would make the daughter "decent and able to control herself" and a lot of women on that conversation agreed with her, one citing one uncut girl she knew who couldn't control her urges. My cousin had a daughter this year and her mum said "oh she won't be cut but use hot water to press it so it looks neat and that is less painful than cutting." Even i recall a while back on NL this year, someone complained that his grandma took his 7 year old sister to cut her and his mum couldnt stop her. it's a mental cultural thing.

Wow.
Fgm was popular like 10yrs ago. I doubt if it's still popular now. The campaign against it was really aggressive and I'm of the opinion that, apart for a few rare occasions here and there, it has been effectively wiped out.

For the pressing thing, I've heard of it too. Even last year. Does that count as Fgm?

5minsmadness:

Wow.
Fgm was popular like 10yrs ago. I doubt if it's still popular now. The campaign against it was really aggressive and I'm of the opinion that, apart for a few rare occasions here and there, it has been effectively wiped out.

For the pressing thing, I've heard of it too. Even last year. Does that count as Fgm?

Well the reason they gave for the hot water was that cutting hurts too much but the gradual pressings with hot water achieves the same result as the first shallow cutting. It's the same idea. But don't be shocked that a lot of people still practise it, they won't come out and say it because Nigerians like to pay lipservice and do eye service to whatever is popular and in vogue.

Thanks, even with all these harms is causing them, they will never see anything wrong with it... especially the norths and south. .parents please save the innocent child the stress of this FGM

5minsmadness:
Is female genital mutilation still carried out? I doubt it. Maybe in some remote areas in the north.

People still do it especially the igbos, they believe it present makes the girl child promiscuous, all they need is enlightenment, they need to know the harm caused by such act!

Aitee1:


People still do it especially the igbos, they believe it present makes the girl child promiscuous, all they need is enlightenment, they need to know the harm caused by such act!

More like it.

pet4ril:
Thanks, even with all these harms is causing them, they will never see anything wrong with it... especially the norths and south. .parents please save the innocent child the stress of this FGM

The campaign is indeed aggressive; I can't say same for the response.

5minsmadness:

Wow.
Fgm was popular like 10yrs ago. I doubt if it's still popular now. The campaign against it was really aggressive and I'm of the opinion that, apart for a few rare occasions here and there, it has been effectively wiped out.

For the pressing thing, I've heard of it too. Even last year. Does that count as Fgm?

There are four types of FGM, the fourth type includes every other harm to a female's external Instruments apart from the other 3 types.

5minsmadness:
Is female genital mutilation still carried out? I doubt it. Maybe in some remote areas in the north.

It is still being carried out wella, and very much in the south