{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,4]],"date-time":"2026-09-04T06:12:46Z","timestamp":1788502366399,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]],"date-time":"2026-09-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788307200000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":1,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BMJ Open"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Female genital mutilation (FGM)\/cutting remains highly prevalent in Somalia and is associated with a range of long-term gynaecological and urological complications. However, data on lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and their severity across different FGM types are limited. The aim of this study was to examine the association between FGM type and LUTS among symptomatic care-seeking women with FGM and to evaluate whether symptom severity differed according to FGM type.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Design<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This cross-sectional study included 122 symptomatic women with a history of FGM who presented with LUTS between January and April 2024.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Sociodemographic characteristics, FGM type, clinical symptoms, and vaginal and urine culture results were recorded. LUTS severity and associated bother were assessed using the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire\u2013Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Long Form (ICIQ-FLUTS-LF). Comparisons were made between women with FGM types I\u2013II and those with type III.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The mean age of participants was 31.7\u00b17.6 years. Women with FGM type III had a significantly higher prevalence of positive urine culture growth, history of urinary tract infection (UTI) and prior antibiotic use, and abdominal pain compared with those with types I\u2013II (p&lt;0.05). Median scores for all LUTS domains and corresponding bother scores were significantly higher in women with FGM type III compared with types I\u2013II (all p&lt;0.001), and similar findings were confirmed in regression analyses.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Among symptomatic care-seeking women with FGM, type III was associated with greater LUTS burden, higher reported history of UTI and greater symptom-related distress compared with types I and II.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2026-118031","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,3]],"date-time":"2026-09-03T13:10:27Z","timestamp":1788441027000},"page":"e118031","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Association between female genital mutilation type and lower urinary tract symptoms among symptomatic Somali women: a cross-sectional study"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-5115-2735","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Umut","family":"Erkok","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Somalia Mogadishu Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan Training and Research Hospital, Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Esra","family":"Keles","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Kartal Dr Lutfi Kirdar City Hospital, Istanbul, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-0765-2326","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Adil","family":"Barut","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Maternal-Foetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bilgehan","family":"Saglik","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Gynaecology Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Levent","family":"Aksoy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Somalia Mogadishu Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan Training and Research Hospital, Mogadishu, Somalia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohamed Omar","family":"Hirsi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Somalia Mogadishu Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan Training and Research Hospital, Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Said Mohamed","family":"Mohamud","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Somalia Mogadishu Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan Training and Research Hospital, Mogadishu, Somalia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zeynep","family":"Omer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, Istanbul Bakirkoy Dr Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gizem","family":"Kul","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, Diyarbakir Gazi Yasargil Training and Research Hospital, Diyarbak\u0131r, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Meryem","family":"Ceylan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, Lokman Hekim University, Ankara, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026090322301585000_16.9.e118031.1","unstructured":"Unicef . Female genital mutilation: a global concern. 2016."},{"key":"2026090322301585000_16.9.e118031.2","unstructured":"World Health Organization . Female genital mutilation: Fact sheet. Geneva: WHO, 2023."},{"key":"2026090322301585000_16.9.e118031.3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2014-006316","article-title":"Effects of female genital cutting on physical health outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"4","author":"Berg","year":"2014","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"2026090322301585000_16.9.e118031.4","unstructured":"World Health Organization . Health risks of female genital mutilation. 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Female genital mutilation\/cutting: Data and trends update 2014. Washington, DC: PRB, 2014."},{"key":"2026090322301585000_16.9.e118031.13","unstructured":"World Health Organization . WHO guideline on the prevention of female genital mutilation and clinical management of complications. 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London: RCOG, 2015."},{"key":"2026090322301585000_16.9.e118031.25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/eurpub\/cki120"},{"key":"2026090322301585000_16.9.e118031.26","first-page":"717","article-title":"Female genital mutilation: training needs of midwives","volume":"23","author":"Costello","year":"2015","journal-title":"Br J Midwifery"}],"container-title":["BMJ Open"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/bmjopen-2026-118031","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,4]],"date-time":"2026-09-04T05:30:26Z","timestamp":1788499826000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/bmjopen.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/bmjopen-2026-118031"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]},"references-count":26,"journal-issue":{"issue":"9","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1136\/bmjopen-2026-118031"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/bmjopen-2026-118031","relation":{},"ISSN":["2044-6055","2044-6055"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2044-6055","type":"print"},{"value":"2044-6055","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]}}}