Intermittent self-catheterisation for urolgical problems caused by FGM

This is the fourth and final article in a series on female genital mutilation (FGM). It describes the complications of FGM, with a focus on the urinary ones. FGM refers to all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia and/or damage to other female genital organs for non-medical reasons. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified FGM into four types (1-4). Women who have type 3 commonly experience long-term complications of their urological tract. The first-line treatment for type 3 FGM involves surgical defibulation, but this is not always successful and women can be left with neurogenic bladder dysfunction and urethral stricture disease. Intermittent self-catheterisation (ISC) enables these women to have control of their bladder function.