July 27, 2017
In July 2017, the Secretary of State in charge of equality between men and women, Marlène Schiappa, commissioned a report from the High Council for Equality between Women and Men (HCE). The HCE will investigate the practice of episiotomies and “ obstetric violence That women might experience when giving birth.
For Marlène Schiappa, France has a rate of episiotomies of 75%
An episiotomy is an incision in the vaginal wall, made by the doctor or midwife before childbirth. Episiotomies reduce the risk of tearing the perineum and make it easier for the baby to come out. For about ten years, episiotomies are no longer systematic. According to a report by the Collective inter-associative around birth (CIANE) published in 2013, less than half of women who gave birth between 2010 and 2013 would have undergone an episiotomy (47%).
On July 20, 2017, facing the Women’s Rights Delegation, Marlène Schiappa commissioned the High Council for Gender Equality (HCE) to report on the practice of episiotomies in French hospitals. To justify this request, the Secretary of State asserted that France knows ” a rate of episiotomies at 75%, while the WHO recommends being around 20-25% “.
Marlène Schiappa offends the National College of French Gynecologists and Obstetricians
To advance this figure, Marlène Schiappa was based on a study carried out in 2013 by the association Maman Travaille of which she is the founder.. According to the Secretary of State, episiotomies are performed without the consent of the patients in the majority of cases (85%). For Marlène Schiappa, there is no doubt: episiotomies represent ” obstetric violence »Suffered by pregnant women.
According to the National College of French Gynecologists and Obstetricians (CNGOF), the figures put forward by Marlène Schiappa are false. In an open letter published online on July 24, 2017, the members of the CNGOF therefore say to themselves ” both surprised and deeply shocked By official statements from the Secretary of State. Asked by the Huffpost, Professor Israël Nisand, president of the CNGOF, sums up the situation as follows: ” No Madam (…), obstetricians do not mistreat their patients and in turn intend not to be so by an ill-informed Secretary of State “.
To read also: Episiotomy: a great French taboo?
Marie-Helene Herouart
