{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,13]],"date-time":"2026-10-13T12:02:00Z","timestamp":1791892920653,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":8,"publisher":"Wiley","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,13]],"date-time":"2026-10-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791849600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,13]],"date-time":"2026-10-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791849600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Intl J Gynecology &amp;amp; Obste"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Female genital mutilation (FGM) remains a major global public health and human rights concern, with recent evidence highlighting a concerning shift toward medicalization. The involvement of health workers in performing FGM creates a false perception of safety, reinforces social acceptance, and threatens progress toward global elimination. This article discusses the drivers and consequences of medicalized FGM, including social pressures, misconceptions of harm reduction, weak enforcement, and professional ethical challenges. Although medicalization is sometimes promoted as a safer alternative, evidence demonstrates that it does not eliminate the physical, psychological, and social harms associated with FGM. Strengthening health worker accountability, integrating prevention into reproductive and maternal health services, enforcing professional regulations, and expanding survivor\u2010centred care are essential strategies. Sustainable elimination requires coordinated action involving healthcare systems, communities, policymakers, and global health organizations to ensure that health workers become advocates for abandonment rather than facilitators of a harmful practice.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1002\/ijgo.71403","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,13]],"date-time":"2026-10-13T11:23:51Z","timestamp":1791890631000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Female genital mutilation in the era of medicalization: A growing threat to global elimination efforts"],"prefix":"10.1002","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-6127-6971","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Abdullahi Osman","family":"Mohamed","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health Science and Tropical Medicine Somali National University  Mogadishu Somalia"},{"name":"Faculty of Social Science Salaam University  Mogadishu Somalia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-6294-0825","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anas Abdulkadir","family":"Warsame","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health Science and Tropical Medicine Somali National University  Mogadishu Somalia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-8403-5700","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Abdinasir Mohamed","family":"Abdi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health Science and Tropical Medicine Somali National University  Mogadishu Somalia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-5484-4611","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yusuf Hassan","family":"Muhumed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health Science and Tropical Medicine Somali National University  Mogadishu Somalia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-2232-866X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mohamed Adam","family":"Abdihashi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health Science and Tropical Medicine Somali National University  Mogadishu Somalia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_2_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/S10508-023-02772-7"},{"key":"e_1_2_2_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/J.JPAG.2025.09.009"},{"key":"e_1_2_2_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"BedriN SherfiH RodwanG ElhadiS ElaminW.Medicalisation of female genital mutilation\/cutting in Sudan: shift in types and providers.2018. doi:10.31899\/RH6.1023","DOI":"10.31899\/rh6.1023"},{"key":"e_1_2_2_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"NjueC AskewI.Medicalization of female genital cutting among the Abagusii in Nyanza Province Kenya.2004. doi:10.31899\/RH2.1003","DOI":"10.31899\/rh2.1003"},{"key":"e_1_2_2_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/IJGO.70544"},{"key":"e_1_2_2_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/S12978-019-0817-3"},{"key":"e_1_2_2_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/S12913-016-1674-1"},{"key":"e_1_2_2_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"AndrewO JonesL FarleyA.6506 Global prevalence of medicalised female genital mutilation: a systematic review.2024:A280.1\u2013A280. doi:10.1136\/ARCHDISCHILD-2024-RCPCH.441","DOI":"10.1136\/archdischild-2024-rcpch.441"}],"container-title":["International Journal of Gynecology &amp; 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