156 Gender and cultural approach for the prevention and treatment of female genital mutilation: the SAMIFO Center experience in Rome

Abstract EP3.1, e-Poster Terminal 3, September 3, 2025, 10:35 - 11:00 Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a severe violation of human rights that significantly impacts women’s health. The SAMIFO Center, a regional public health facility within ASL Roma 1, has been providing healthcare, rehabilitation, and social support to forced migrants and foreign minors since 2006. The center has developed an integrated approach to address FGM, combining surgical, reparative, and psychosocial interventions. For women with Type 3 FGM (infibulation), a personalized care pathway is implemented, involving obstetric-gynecological evaluations, psychological counseling, and deinfibulation surgery, in collaboration with S. Filippo Neri Hospital in Rome. This multidisciplinary approach aims to restore a functional female identity, support psychosexual recovery, and enable the possibility of physiological childbirth.Additionally, the Health Passport for the prevention of FGM was introduced to combat the continuation of this practice, especially among second-generation migrant women. Available in nine languages, this document, realized with CCM funds, provides information on FGM, its health consequences, and the italian legal framework surrounding it. It also serves as a tool for raising awareness among pregnant women and protecting girls from mutilation practices, while promoting reproductive health education. The passport has been effective in engaging families and fostering cultural change, contributing to FGM prevention and improving the health and well-being of women and girls. Both surgical and informational interventions are essential for safeguarding women’s rights, promoting their health, and combating violence associated with FGM.