Fight against female genital cutting
Most of the women are from Somalia, Nigeria, Sudan and Egypt. The circumcision or mutilation of the clitoris and other genitals is a crime according to Austrian law, a serious bodily harm to girls and women – there as well as there it is still a taboo subject for many.
Apparently high pressure, anonymity necessary
An interpreter in Hallein also wants to remain anonymous: “I know women who are afraid to go to the gynecologist. Sometimes they call me to make an appointment. I translate and help you. I have accompanied many women to the gynecologist.”
It is precisely this fear that the special ambulance in Hallein will take away from the women. They often have psychological problems and chronic pain. They are helped in the outpatient clinic, emphasizes specialist Fabiola Hinterreitner: “We have a young team of gynecologists who are very happy to look after the patients.”
Various forms of mutilation
But circumcision is not the same as circumcision. In Africa, there are various ways in which the genital area is cut or sewn up. It is mainly women who work in the special outpatient clinic – and they work very sensitively so that the patients feel good, as senior physician Maria Trattner describes: “First of all, we assess how badly a woman is affected. A plan is then made as to when and in what form an operation should be made. That women will experience less pain during menstruation and sexual intercourse in the future.”
Thorsten Fischer is head of the gynecological department: “We have a globalization of ethically difficult issues. And the patients come to us from these countries. And we have to address these issues.”
Break through and stop “tradition”.
Genital cutting is considered a “tradition” in all countries. First circumcised women belong to society. They are considered “pure, fertile and marriageable”. The women’s health center in Salzburg wants to provide information – to prevent the victims from circumcising their daughters or having them circumcised.
Director Aline Halhuber-Ahlmann emphasizes that many women would suffer from the consequences of circumcision: “Without knowing that it wouldn’t be like this without circumcision. We want to inform them in such a way that they try to save their daughters and girls from this as well.”
Own information series
The women’s health center will be offering special training for interested parties from the end of May. In recent years, the problem has also been increasingly discussed in social networks. Every
Women and every girl have a fundamental right to physical and mental integrity.