Female genital mutilation, a violation of the fundamental rights of women and girls

6 February 2019 marks the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation. Dr Vanina CHAREYRE, a committed obstetrician-gynaecologist, tells us about her fight against these practices.

Genital mutilation" is when an operation is carried out on the external genitalia for non-medical reasons (tradition, etc.).

Above all, it is an irreversible attack on physical integrity.

In some countries, these operations may or may not be carried out by medical professionals, but in all cases the immediate complications can be disastrous for the patients: superinfected wounds, acute infections, gangrene, HIV, death, etc.

Once the "act" has been completed, the consequences for young women are manifold, ranging from the physical (chronic pelvic pain, infertility problems, painful periods, urinary infections) to the psychological (loss of self-esteem, depressive syndromes, anxiety, etc.).

Dr CHAREYRE is committed to combating this phenomenon in a variety of ways (information campaigns, awareness-raising initiatives, directing patients to the right facilities, etc.).

Click here for the full interview.