FGM: it's cutting season and NHS staff must be alert to the dangers

FGM: it's cutting season and NHS staff must be alert to the dangers There is a real need for extra vigilance in healthcare at this time of year. I urge all health professionals with suspicions about the safety of young girls to speak up

It is the “cutting season”. A time when a summer holiday visiting relatives can, for some young girls, involve being held down by a group of women while their genitals are mutilated. Sometimes, as part of the process, their wounds are even sewn back together with thorns. These young children endure unimaginable pain and suffer a lifetime of serious health problems because of this cruel practice – female genital mutilation (FGM).

I am writing to the NHS today to ask them to ensure their staff are extra vigilant as we enter the school summer holiday period. I am also asking them to ensure that staff are aware of the support and resources available to them to assist them to do all they can to stop this practice, which can truly devastate lives. Continue reading... The Guardian