9. Impact of FGM
FGM can have consequences on many areas of a woman's life. These include physical, psychological and social impacts.
Psychologically, a child who has undergone FGM may experience a loss of trust in the adults around them and as they grow up they may experience anxiety and depression. The psychological impact can last a lifetime, with women experiencing flashbacks or developing sudden bouts of anger with no apparent cause.
The're also physical consequences. Immediately after the procedure, women and girls are likely to experience severe pain. Often it is very difficult to pass urine, depending on the type of FGM, and there's a risk of heavy blood loss, infection and even death. In the long term, women may experience complications including anaemia, urinary incontinence, painful sexual intercourse and increased risk of HIV transmission. Childbirth in particular can introduce potential difficulties both physical and psychological and women often report having long and painful labours. There can be an increased rate of caesarean sections or of severe bleeding following birth. There may also be increased infant mortality rates at birth.
Socially, the consequences are seen most acutely when a women moves to an area where FGM is not understood, even by healthcare workers. It can lead to confusion, judgemental behaviour and isolation. In some cases it can lead to women avoiding contact with essential health care services.
Transcript
This is an example of how video can be incorporated in to the RLO template. This video is 1920 by 1080 pixels and is rendered using the MP4 format. The video should include both subtitles, as a subtitle track, and also a textual copy of the transcript which can appear below the video.