NEW UN STUDY FOR FIRST TIME SHOWS DANGERS OF FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION FOR CHILDBIRTHNew York, Jun 2 2006 11:00AMWomen who have had Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) are significantly more likely to experience difficulties during childbirth and their babies are more likely to die as a result of the traditional yet gruesome practice, according to a new United Nations study released today, which reiterated calls for total abolition of a practice that currently affects 100 million people worldwide. The study, the first to give clear evidence of the harmful effects for women and babies, cites serious complications during childbirth include the need to have a caesarean section, dangerously heavy bleeding after the birth and prolonged hospitalization, with the degree of complications increasing depending on the extent and severity of the FGM.The death rate among babies during and immediately after birth is also much higher, in some case up to about 55 per cent. Because the study was carried out in hospitals, experts said death and harm rates were probably significantly higher overall, as many women in the societies where FGM is practiced give birth at home. “As a result of this study we have, for the first time, evidence that deliveries among women who have been subject to FGM are significantly more likely to be complicated and dangerous,” UN World Health Organization (WHO) Assistant Director-General for Family and Community Health Joy Phumaphi said of the practice which is particularly common in Africa.“FGM is a practice steeped in culture and tradition but it should not be allowed to carry on. We must support communities in their efforts to abandon the practice and to improve care for those who have undergone FGM. We must also steadfastly resist the medicalization of FGM. WHO is totally opposed to FGM being carried out by medical personnel,” she added. Women who have been subjected to the most serious form of FGM - FGM III comprising excision of part or all of the external genitalia and stitching/narrowing of the vaginal opening - will have on average 30 per cent more caesarean sections compared with those who have not had any FGM.Similarly there is a 70 per cent increase in numbers of women suffering from postpartum haemorrhage in those with FGM III compared to those women without FGM. As for the newborns, the researchers found an increased need to resuscitate those whose mothers had had FGM, 66 per cent higher in the case women of FGM III.The death rate during and immediately after birth is also much higher for those born to mothers with FGM: 15 per cent so in those with FGM I (excision of the prepuce, with or without excision of part or all of the clitoris); 32 per cent in those with FGM II (excision of the clitoris with partial or total excision of the labia minora); and 55 per cent in those with FGM III.It is estimated that in the African context an additional 10 to 20 babies die per 1,000 deliveries as a result of the practice.WHO’s Director of the Special Programme for Human Reproduction Research (HRP), Paul Van Look, noted that the study was based only on research carried out in hospitals. “The consequences for the countless women and babies who deliver at home without the help of experienced staff are likely to be even worse,” he said. The study involved 28,393 women at 28 obstetric centres in six countries, where FGM is common - Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan. The centres varied from relatively isolated rural hospitals to teaching hospitals in capital cities. Although practices vary from country to country, FGM is generally performed on girls under 10 years of age and leads to varying amounts of scar formation. It is not entirely clear why FGM leads to increased complications during childbirth, but one possible explanation is that this scar tissue is relatively inelastic and can lead to obstruction and tearing of the tissues around the vagina during childbirth. “FGM remains a pressing human rights issue and reliable evidence regarding its harmful effects, both for mothers and their babies, should contribute to the abandonment of the practice,” WHO said. “It is in direct violation of young girls’ rights, has both short-term and long-term adverse health consequences, and is an unnecessary procedure.” 2006-06-02 00:00:00.000

'DON'T KILL US WITH DIPLOMACY' PERSON WITH HIV TELLS UN AIDS MEETING --

ANNANNew York, Jun 1 2006 11:00PMFollowing a meeting with persons living with HIV who are attending a major United Nations meeting on AIDS in New York, Secretary-General Kofi Annan reported their appeal to diplomats not to negotiate away past gains in a declaration to be adopted by the end of the three-day session, which concludes Friday."We had a very good conversation with people living with HIV/AIDS who have been attending this conference and had great concerns about the quality of the document that may come out of the conference," Mr. Annan told the press following a meeting with some 45 people living with HIV."They were concerned that we may be rolling back the gains which were made" at the General Assembly special session on the issue in 2001 "and they appealed to the delegates to ensure that they improve on the document and not roll it back, and above all, do no harm."The Secretary-General said he was struck by the advocacy of the people with HIV, including one who appealed to delegates not to negotiate away past gains. "One of them pleaded 'please don't kill us with diplomacy, come up with real proposals that will help us on the ground,'" Mr. Annan said.Dr. Peter Piot, Executive Director of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), repeated this call. "As the Secretary-General has said, we will not forgive that 'death by diplomacy.' So, we're looking forward to the end of the negotiations. We have a new draft, which is much stronger, and tomorrow we will have the high-level session that should endorse, hopefully, a strong declaration."Cannon Gideon from Uganda, from the African Network of Religious Leaders living with HIV, stressed the need for clear language in the final document. "We are really concerned that if we don't have a specific target on defeating stigma and discrimination, then we may not achieve our targets on universal access," he said. "This is very, very, very important that we have targets, we have oresponsibility to ensure that stigma and discrimination and denial is defeated, so that we can have everyone accessing treatment, accessing prevention services and information."Rolake Nwagwu.of Nigeria said his continent was not leading the charge for progress. "As an African and living with HIV in this meeting, what we have seen so far is that we are thoroughly embarrassed at the African position."On a more positive note, Dr. Piot saw progress in the very presence of people living with HIV at the conference. "This is a big difference with 2001 when there were hardly any people living with HIV being members of delegations in the General Assembly," he said, adding, "That is I think an illustration that there is really a change of mind."

I join in Spiritual solidarity with the people of NYC for the global movement against violence against women and children.

lets get up together and bring this to a stop!!

UNTIL THE VIOLENCE STOPS: NYC
Presented by V-Day, the global movement to end violence against women and girls founded by playwright Eve Ensler, UNTIL THE VIOLENCE STOPS: NYC will feature marquee events with performances by celebrated actors and original works by noted authors, community events throughout New York City, a citywide messaging campaign, a run through Prospect Park, a men & boys workshop, and more.
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UNTIL THE VIOLENCE STOPS: NYC will take over New York City, putting women, their empowerment and safety directly on center stage. The festival will issue a call to action to all New Yorkers, and to the world: Demand an end to violence against women and girls and become an active participant in ending it.
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