A scientific approach to the health and obstetrical problems of female genital mutilation of Somali women living in Turkey

Abstract

Although female genital mutilation is widespread in Africa, it is a worldwide fact that it is practiced by more than 200 million women in many countries, especially in the Middle and Far East. It is performed in different ways in different countries around the world. Lifelong physiological, psychiatric, and obstetric problems are inevitable due to the loss of anatomical tissue in the female genital area after mutilation. In this study, the degree of disability, obstetric problems, behavior, and attitudes of Somali women living in Turkey were investigated. For this purpose, the situation of 190 Somali women in 15 provinces. Female genital mutilation was studied using a variety of parameters, and statistical chi-square tests and continuous quantitative variables were evaluated in normality tests. For this purpose, the data were presented considering the results of parametric or nonparametric tests. It was found that almost all Somali women living in Turkey are circumcised, but the mutilation rate is slightly lower than the global average. Circumcision was closely related to economic status, education, cultural traditions, and family structure. FGM was found to cause many obstetric and psychiatric problems. It was found that the attitude of Somali women living in Turkey towards female genital mutilation changes significantly with increasing education level, household income, awareness, and communication opportunities. Education, cultural change, financial situation, level of health care, and midwifery services effectively reduced FGM.

Keywords

• Genital Mutilation
• Somali women living in Turkey
• obstetrics
• Midwifery
• Health care

Thanks

This study is summarized from Hawa Hussain AHMED's master's thesis (A midwifery perspective on the lives, health, and birth problems of Somali women subjected to FGM and living in Turkey. 10547514). Advisor: Dr. N. BİLİCİ. We are grateful to Karabuk University for its human resources contribution to science.

Türkiye'de yaşayan Somalili kadınların kadın sünnetinin sağlık ve doğum sorunlarına bilimsel bir yaklaşım

Abstract

Kadın sünneti Afrika'da yaygın olmasına rağmen, Orta ve Uzak Doğu başta olmak üzere birçok ülkede 200 milyondan fazla kadın tarafından uygulandığı dünya çapında bir gerçektir. Dünyanın farklı ülkelerinde farklı şekillerde yapılmaktadır. Sakatlama sonrası kadın genital bölgesindeki anatomik doku kaybı nedeniyle yaşam boyu sürecek fizyolojik, psikiyatrik ve obstetrik sorunlar kaçınılmazdır. Bu çalışmada Türkiye'de yaşayan Somalili kadınların engellilik dereceleri, doğum sorunları, davranış ve tutumları araştırıldı. Bu amaçla 15 ilde 190 Somalili kadının durumu araştırıldı. Kadın sünneti çeşitli parametreler kullanılarak incelendi ve normallik testlerinde istatistiksel ki-kare testleri ve sürekli niceliksel değişkenler değerlendirildi. Bu amaçla veriler parametrik veya parametrik olmayan testlerin sonuçları dikkate alınarak sunulmuştur. Türkiye'de yaşayan Somalili kadınların neredeyse tamamının sünnetli olduğu, ancak sünnet oranının dünya ortalamasının biraz altında olduğu belirlendi. Sünnet ekonomik durum, eğitim, kültürel gelenekler ve aile yapısıyla yakından ilişkiliydi. Kadın sünnetinin birçok obstetrik ve psikiyatrik soruna neden olduğu tespit edildi. Türkiye'de yaşayan Somalili kadınların kadın sünnetine yönelik tutumunun, eğitim düzeyi, hane geliri, farkındalık ve iletişim olanaklarının artmasıyla önemli ölçüde değiştiği tespit edildi. Eğitim, kültürel değişim, mali durum, sağlık hizmetleri düzeyi ve ebelik hizmetleri kadın sünnetini etkili bir şekilde azalttı.

Keywords

• Kadın sünneti
• Türkiye
• kadın doğum
• ebelik
• sağlık hizmetleri

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