Dr Pierre Foldès, although probably the most well know, is not the only surgeon in France to perform reconstructive surgery for women who have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM): in Angers there is Dr Sébastien Madzou.
He had originally read an article about Dr Foldès in a women’s magazine. Although Dr Madzou originally comes from the Congo, where FGM is not practised, he frequently comes across circumcised women in his gynaecology clinics so he got in touch to find out more. Dr Foldès asked if he would like to be trained in the technique and now Dr Madzou himself trains others.
The first surgeon he trained was a colleague, Dr Ouedraogo, with whom he had studied in Tours. Dr Ouedraogo suggested Dr Madzou go with him to Burkina Faso where he has now trained about 25 surgeons in the technique. Of these, 6 or 7 are women, though there appears not to be any concern amongst patients over having a male surgeon.
In an article by Habibou Bangré on Afrik.com (in French), Dr Madzou tells of his time in Burkina Faso. His patients of all ages came from all levels of society, having heard about the operation by word of mouth. Although he worked without charging fees, there nevertheless was a cost to the patients, however it was obviously considerably less that travelling to France. He even had one patient from Belgium who travelled specifically for the operation, and another from the USA who happened to be visiting relatives when she heard about it.
In France he works at Centre Hospitalier Universitaire d'Angers, 4, rue Larrey 49933 Angers. His own contact details.
This is such a sad reality in some parts of Africa. I have been living in Ghana for the past 13 years. In some parts of the north, female circumsision as they call it, is standard practice.
ReplyDeleteDespite many organizations working to educate people against it, they find that culturally it is so ingrained.
Sadly, it is he women who perpetuate and support the practice!