78955 20201105083211.0 doi 10.1186/s12978-019-0681-1 sideral 111335 ART-2019-111335 eng Tarr-Attia, C.K. 'Birds of the same feathers fly together': midwives' experiences with pregnant women and FGM/C complications - a grounded theory study in Liberia 2019 Access copy available to the general public Unrestricted Background: In Liberia, approximately 70% of the women of the North-Central and North-Western regions could have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in their childhood during a traditional ceremony marking their entrance into Sande, a secret female society. Little is known about FGM/C from Liberian women's perspective. This study aimed to understand the health implications of FGM/C as perceived by qualified female midwives. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in 2017 in Monrovia, Liberia's capital. Twenty midwives were approached. Of these, seventeen consented to participate in in-depth interviews. A thematic guide was used to gain insights about their knowledge on FGM/C and their experiences attending women victims of FGM/C. A feminist interpretation of constructivist grounded theory guided data generation and analysis. Results: The midwives participants described how clitoridectomy was the most common FGM/C type done to the girls during the Sande initiation ceremonies. Sexual impairment and intrapartum vulvo-perineal laceration with subsequent hemorrhage were described as frequent FGM/C-attributable complications that some midwives could be unable to address due to lack of knowledge and skills. The majority of midwives would advocate for the abandonment of FGM/C, and for the preservation of the traditional instructions that the girls in FGM/C-practicing regions receive when joining Sande. The midwives described how migration to urban areas, and improved access to information and communication technologies might be fuelling abandonment of FGM/C. Conclusion: Liberian midwives need tailored training to provide psychosexual counseling, and to attend the obstetric needs of pregnant women that have undergone FGM/C. In spite of FGM/C being seemingly in the decline, surveillance at clinic-level is warranted to prevent its medicalization. Any clinic- or community-based training, research, prevention and awareness intervention targeting FGM/C-practicing populations should be designed in collaboration with Sande members, and acknowledging that the Liberian population may place a high value in Sande's traditional values. info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess by http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es/ 2.177 2019 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH 56 / 170 = 0.329 2019 Q2 T1 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH 90 / 193 = 0.466 2019 Q2 T2 1.223 2019 Reproductive Medicine 2019 Q1 Obstetrics and Gynecology 2019 Q1 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Boiwu, G.H. (orcid)0000-0001-6756-9515 Martinez-Perez, G. Universidad de Zaragoza 1006 255 Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Fisiatría y Enfermería Área Enfermería 16 (2019), 18 [12 pp] Reproductive Health Reproductive Health 1742-4755 391119 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/78955/files/texto_completo.pdf Versión publicada 88972 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/78955/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon icon Versión publicada oai:zaguan.unizar.es:78955 articulos driver 2020-11-05-08:21:27 ARTICLE