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I’ve been subject to female genital mutilation. How can I get help?

Jag är könsstympad, hur kan jag få hjälp? - engelska

Question

I’ve been subject to female genital mutilation. How can I get help? I’ve heard that I can have surgery. Must my parents know if I have this surgery? Girl, 17 years of age.

Answers

Good help is available to you. You can go to a Youth Guidance Centre (ungdomsmottagning), a gynaecological clinic or a health clinic (vårdcentral). You can talk to the school nurse if you are at school.

There are two special clinics for women who have been subject to female genital mutilation: the AMEL clinic (AMEL-mottagningen) in Stockholm and Vulvamottagningen at Angered Hospital in Gothenburg. You are welcome to visit these clinics no matter where you live in Sweden. You can get help with both physical and emotional problems.

You are in your right to have a surgery if you wish and if it is necessary. The surgical procedure can remove painful scars, or it can dilate the genital area to make it easier for you to urinate and for menstrual blood to leave your body. The surgical procedure will also help if you currently find it difficult to have sex or enjoy sex. You will be given more information when you seek help.

You do not need to talk to your parents if you do not want to. You can get help and have a surgery without their knowledge.

You can always ask for an interpreter if you need one.

Links

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Here you can read the queries sent in by young people to Ask UMO. All questions on Youmo are answered by experts who usually answer questions on UMO.se.

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