Portsmouth sees a rise in the number of female genital mutilation victims

Generic stock of hospital ward pictures. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire.

ALMOST two dozen victims of female genital mutilation (FGM) were seen by NHS services in Portsmouth during the past year, new figures show.

FGM, where female genitals are deliberately cut, removed or changed without a medical justification, is most commonly inflicted on girls under 15, particularly from Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

It can cause severe bleeding, problems urinating and complications during pregnancy and childbirth.

NHS Digital figures show around 20 FGM survivors in the NHS Portsmouth CCG area were seen by health professionals in the year to March – up from roughly five the year before.

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Of these, approximately 15 were having their injuries reported for the first time.

Only approximate numbers are recorded in the data to prevent the identification of individual women.

Across England, roughly 6,380 women who attended GP practices or other health services were identified as having undergone FGM in 2021-22 – and around 2,735 were newly-identified individuals.

In the UK, FGM has been banned since 1985, but the practice remains widespread, especially in some African countries.

But Forward, an African women-led organisation working to end violence against women and girls, said publicly available data does not reflect the true landscape of FGM and called on greater support for victims accessing health services.

The government said it is ‘fully committed’ to tackling FGM.

‘We work closely with stakeholders to ensure we do everything we can to protect victims,’ a spokesman added.

‘This includes funding the national honour-based abuse helpline, providing a range of resources to help professionals and communities to address FGM, and preventing the crime from happening in the first place through the introduction of FGM protection orders.’