Exploring the association between female genital mutilation/cutting and HIV

Authors

Evidence to End FGM/C Programme Consortium

Document Type

Brief

Publication Date

8-1-2018

Abstract

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) threatens the health and well-being of girls in a variety of ways. Some experts have suggested that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may be among the practice’s adverse health outcomes. They theorize that because women with FGM/C risk genital trauma and bleeding during intercourse, their chances of acquiring HIV from an infected male partner are increased. While evidence that FGM/C increases susceptibility to HIV could bolster FGM/C eradication efforts, this connection has received limited research attention. This brief highlights the Evidence to End FGM/C program’s findings on the current state of evidence on the association between FGM/C and HIV, including the quality of the existing research and recommendations for further investigation.

Comments

Related resources:

• Associations between female genital mutilation/cutting and HIV: A review of the evidence
• Associations between FGM/C and HIV in Ethiopia, the Gambia, Kenya, and Sierra Leone: A limited analysis of Demographic and Health Survey data

See also:

• Exploring the association between female genital mutilation/cutting and early/child marriage
• Exploring the association between female genital mutilation/cutting and fistula

Recommended Citation

"Exploring the association between female genital mutilation/cutting and HIV," Evidence to End FGM/C Programme Consortium Evidence Brief. Washington, DC: Population Reference Bureau, 2018.

DOI

10.31899/sbsr2018.1019

Language

English

Project

Evidence to End FGM/C: Research to Help Girls and Women Thrive