Document Detail


Special commentary on the issue of reinfibulation.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20178881     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Policy on reinfibulation exposes the interface between individual or micro-ethics and population-wide or macro-ethics. If, following childbirth, an infibulated woman requests reinfibulation, a gynecologist may respectfully advise her of its negative implications, but would not act in breach of ethical or usually legal requirements in undertaking the procedure. However, as a matter of health policy and professional responsibility, physicians should refuse to initiate infibulation, and advise their patients and communities that the procedure is harmful, not required by religious or other ordinance, and frequently if not always unlawful. Reinfibulation is not genital cutting (or "mutilation") in itself, but when undertaken by a physician may appear to condone infibulation. This is contrary to medical professional ethics, which condemn medicalization of infibulation and generally of reinfibulation, even as a harm-reduction strategy to spare women the risks of injury and infection from unskilled interventions.
Authors:
Rebecca J Cook; Bernard M Dickens
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article     Date:  2010-02-23
Journal Detail:
Title:  International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics     Volume:  109     ISSN:  1879-3479     ISO Abbreviation:  Int J Gynaecol Obstet     Publication Date:  2010 May 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-04-13     Completed Date:  2010-07-16     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0210174     Medline TA:  Int J Gynaecol Obstet     Country:  Ireland    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  97-9     Citation Subset:  IM    
Copyright Information:
Copyright 2010 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Affiliation:
Faculty of Law, Faculty of Medicine and Joint Centre for Bioethics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada M5S 2C5.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adolescent
Adult
Child
Circumcision, Female*
Ethics, Medical
Female
Humans
Informed Consent
Physician-Patient Relations
Religion and Medicine
Social Values
Women's Health
Young Adult

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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