Thirty new cases of female genital mutilation (FGM) were recorded at Homerton Hospital in four months last year, new figures show.
New data from the Health and Social Care Information Centre show that 30 cases of FGM – the ritual removal of some or all of the female genitalia – were reported at Homerton between September 2014 and January 2015.
The new stats have angered campaigners, who say not enough is being done to tackle the issue.
“I was a six year old, begging to die”
Hibo Wardere, a campaigner from East London who underwent the procedure in Somalia aged six, said: “The government still isn’t doing enough to combat FGM. In schools, it remains up to the teachers to decide whether they teach students about it.”
Describing her own experience, Hibo, now aged 45, said: “I had type three. They rip your clitoris off, they rip your vagina lips off, they go inside and cut some more tissues off, then they sew you up. After that I remember thinking ‘please God, take me. I want to die.’ I was a six year old, begging to die.”
Saria Khalifa, of FGM support group Forward UK, said: “We imagine the reported numbers are an underestimation.
“It’s still a very taboo subject, and there is still a fear amongst community members of saying that it happened to them.”
Risk of contracting HIV
Homerton Hospital – which has received specialist training from Forward UK in the past – says it aims to provide thorough care for victims.
A spokesperson for the hospital said: “The Trust employs consultants who have specific experience in treating women who have experienced FGM, and all our midwives are provided with training on FGM every year.”
Short-term health problems include severe bleeding and the risk of contracting HIV or Tetanus from rusty blades. Long-term, women can have problems urinating, painful periods and difficulties in delivering children.
