Circumcision is the main cause of death of women in African countries – scientists
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Researchers from the University of Birmingham analyzed data on female mortality in African countries, where more than 44,000 women and young girls die each year. Among all reasons, the most common is female circumcision, which is allowed in 5 out of 28 countries in Africa, writes Medical Express. Intestinal infections, which occur as a result of consuming contaminated food or water, are the second leading cause of death. Researchers from the Universities of Birmingham and Exeter analyzed the number of girls subjected to female genital mutilation in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Tanzania. Photo: PeopleImages/Depositphotos They found that a 50% increase in the number of girls undergoing circumcision increased the risk of death over the next 5 years. FGM alone is responsible for an estimated 44,320 avoidable deaths per year. “There is reason for optimism, as work on non-communicable diseases shows that effective interventions are possible, but changing patriarchal attitudes often lags behind other societal changes – an important first step would be to make female genital mutilation illegal in countries where it occurs. that legal change can lead to cultural change,” said Professor James Rockey from the University of Birmingham. Worldwide, more than 200 million women and girls have undergone FGM, a practice that often takes place in unsanitary conditions. These women continue to lack adequate clinical supervision: the intervention is characterized by severe pain, bleeding and infection. Complications often occur in women: decreased sexual function and other long-term physical health problems. Circumcision can also lead to mental health problems. The World Health Organization estimated that in 2018, the total cost of treating girls and women after FGM was US$1.4 billion. However, until now there has been no systematic evidence for the role of female genital mutilation in global mortality. The practice of circumcision is part of the traditions in some countries. Without the appropriate surgeries, a woman cannot get married in West Africa due to patriarchal culture and institutions. Read also: Marriage with a foreigner. Three stories of Ukrainian women who married in Africa, Asia and Latin America
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