Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) - July 2015 to September 2015, Experimental Statistics

The Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Enhanced Dataset (SCCI 2026) is a repository for individual level data collected by healthcare providers in England, including acute hospital providers, mental health providers and GP practices.

All figures reported below relate to national level English data for attendances during the quarter July to September 2015.

• Caution is advised in interpreting these findings because data completeness is often low and may vary by region and submitter.
• There were 1,385 newly recorded cases of FGM reported, with 1,641 total attendances where FGM was identified or a procedure for FGM was undertaken.
• Over 50 per cent of women and girls in both the newly recorded and total attendance cohorts lived in the London NHS Commissioning Region.
• 71 NHS trusts submitted one or more FGM attendance records. Four GP practices submitted one or more FGM attendance records. Submission is mandatory for NHS acute trusts. Submission becomes mandatory for GP practices and NHS mental health trusts from 1 October 2015 onwards.
• Where the FGM type is known, type 1 and type 2 had the highest incidence with 33.2 and 32.3 per cent respectively. Caution is advised in interpreting these findings because completeness is only 43.3 per cent and varies by region and submitter.
• FGM types 1, 2 and 3 covered over 90 per cent of women and girls with a known FGM type in the cohort, with a relatively low incidence of the remaining categories (type 4, history of type 3 and type 3 - reinfibulation identified).
• There were 17 women or girls under the age of 18 at the point of first attendance, 1.2 per cent of newly recorded cases.
• Self report was the most common FGM identification method, accounting for 71.1 per cent of newly recorded cases where the means of FGM identification was known.
• 93.2 per cent of newly recorded women and girls, with a known country of birth, were born in Eastern, Northern or Western Africa. Caution is advised in interpreting these findings because completeness is only 37.0 per cent and varies by region and submitter.
• Where the country of birth is known, Somalia has by far the highest volume of cases with 204, almost 40 per cent of the total reported.
• 8 newly recorded women or girls were reported to have been born in the United Kingdom.
• Where treatment function area was recorded, midwifery services accounted for the highest proportion of attendances (58.9 per cent), followed by obstetrics (30.0 per cent) and gynaecology (7.8 per cent). Caution is advised in interpreting these findings because completeness is only 56.8 per cent and varies by region and submitter.
• Where pregnancy status was recorded, the woman was pregnant at the point of attendance in over 80 per cent of cases. Caution is advised in interpreting these findings because completeness is only 50.0 per cent and varies by region and submitter.
• Where the status was recorded, a baby daughter was born in 11.6 per cent of attendances where FGM was identified or a procedure for FGM was undertaken. Caution is advised in interpreting these findings because completeness is only 33.2 per cent and varies by region and submitter.
• 29 deinfibulation procedures were recorded. Deinfibulation was undertaken at 4.4 per cent of attendances where deinfibulation status was specified, rising to 13.0 per cent where FGM type 3 (including history of type 3 and type 3 - reinfibulation identified) was also recorded. Caution is advised in interpreting these findings because completeness is only 40.1 per cent and varies by region and submitter.
• Definitions

1. Newly Recorded women and girls with FGM are those who have had their FGM information collected in the FGM Enhanced Dataset for the first time. This will include those identified as having FGM and those having treatment for their FGM.
   'Newly recorded' does not necessarily mean that the attendance is the woman or girl's first attendance for FGM.
2. Total Attendances refers to all attendances in the reporting period where FGM was identified or a procedure for FGM was undertaken. Women and girls may have one or more attendances in the reporting period. This category includes both newly recorded and previously identified women and girls.