Exploring FGM specialist services Final version 1.0, 25.07.23
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Improving specialist services for women who have experienced Female Genital Mutilation. A sequential mixed methods study to inform service transformation.
IRAS ID
328507
Contact name
Catrin Evans
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Nottingham
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
328507, ClinicalTrials.govPRS
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 30 days
Research summary
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is when the female genitals are cut or injured for no medical reason. This is usually carried out on girls without their consent. Approximately 200 million women and girls worldwide have had FGM, mainly from Black and Minoritized communities, and an estimated 137,000 are living in England and Wales. FGM causes lifelong health problems costing the NHS approximately £100 million every year.
FGM specialist services in the UK are all quite different. Some have community workers and counsellors working in the clinics. Some only treat pregnant women. Some are located in the community rather than in hospital and others are Doctor or Midwife led. There are no national standards to ensure that clinics provide good quality care and few studies have asked women what they want and how care could be improved.
This study aims to:- (1) map existing specialist FGM care provision in the UK; and (2) explore women’s views and experiences of UK FGM specialist services.
Secondary objectives are to identify women's information, support and treatment needs and make recommendations for theoretically informed co-designed models of specialist care.
A sequential mixed methods explanatory study will be conducted lasting one year, including:-
Phase 1a - Online Survey of Specialist Service Leads
Phase 1b - Online interviews with a sample of Service Leads to explore questionnaire responses. (e.g. where services are located, how they are commissioned, who staff them, what information resources they provide, how to access them etc).
Phase 2 - In-depth interviews with FGM patients via telephone/WhatsApp/Video conference/Face-to-face with specialist interpreter. (Women will be recruited by the FGM specialist team).
Two patient and public Involvement (PPI) groups helped plan the project and are providing advice throughout the study. Members include:-
1) Women who have FGM
2) health advocates (women from FGM-practicing communities working in healthcare).REC name
London - Chelsea Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/LO/0711
Date of REC Opinion
21 Aug 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion