# Supporting the decision for female genital mutilation/cutting and its predictors among healthcare providers in Upper Egypt

## TL;DR

The study finds that a significant portion of healthcare providers in Upper Egypt support or are not clearly against female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) when consulted.

## Contribution

This study identifies predictors of healthcare providers' support for FGM/C in Upper Egypt, including age, attitudes toward medicalized FGM/C, and regional prevalence.

## Key findings

- Almost one-third of healthcare providers supported or were not clearly against FGM/C for girls when consulted.
- Older age, positive attitudes toward medicalized FGM/C, and upbringing in areas with high FGM/C prevalence were significant predictors of support.
- The study highlights the need for targeted education programs for healthcare providers to combat FGM/C.

## Abstract

In Egypt, a growing number of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) procedures among girls are conducted by professional healthcare providers (HCPs). This study aimed to identify the prevalence of health professionals’ support for FGM/C and its predictors among HCPs in Upper Egypt.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 385 HCPs working in the gynaecology and obstetrics specialty for the Egyptian Ministry of Health in the Asyut Governorate. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire that assessed personal characteristics, HCPs training in and knowledge of FGM/C, the HCPs’ attitudes towards the practice of FGM/C, as well as their involvement in the practice (medicalized FGM/C), FGM/C in their own family and the decision to support FGM/C for girls when consulted.

Almost one third of the HCPs studied supported the decision for FGM/C or were not clearly against FGM/C (34.3%) for girls when consulted. The adjusted predictors of support for FGM/C or not being clearly against FGM/C among Egyptian HCPs were: increasing age (AOR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01–1.06), low scores on attitude against medicalized FGM/C (AOR = 0.610, 95% CI: 0.49–0.75) and the predominance of FGM/C in the area where HCPs were raised (AOR = 2.410, 95% CI: 1.22–4.75).

There is still a substantial proportion of Egyptian HCPs who support FGM/C for girls or are not clearly against FGM/C when consulted. There is a need to intensify efforts to direct education programmes towards HCPs, especially those who are older, who have a positive attitude towards FGM/C medicalization and who were raised in areas with a predominance of FGM/C.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-026-14028-w.