New state parliamentary figures have shed light on the practice of female genital mutilation, amid claims it is more widespread than the data suggests.

New South Wales Police Minister Troy Grant has responded to questions about genital mutilation, revealing police have dealt with eight matters between 2011 and 2015.

Female genital mutilation involves partial or total removal of the external female genitalia.

It is an issue being tackled by New South Wales Health, which for more than 20 years has run an education program in places such as Wollongong, Newcastle, Wagga, Coffs Harbour, Orange and Gosford where refugee and migrant women have settled.

Government working closely with officials investigating FGM

In addition to the figures, Mr Grant said police refer members of the community to a program run by NSW Health on a case-by-case basis.

Parliament was also told police work closely with NSW Health and Family and Community Services to investigate genital mutilation crimes in the community.

Mr Grant said the government encouraged anyone with information about female genital mutilation to call police.

Melbourne University Professor of Psychiatry Louise Newman said the figures were only a snapshot of a wider problem.

"It's likely to be absolutely the tip of what's really quite a large iceberg," Professor Newman said.

"I think these cases are difficult to find.

"It tends to be a hidden problem that communities might hide and, of course, it is very appropriate that these cases do come to light and, if they're involving children, that children are protected."

Hunter Valley program tackling FGM

The issue of female genital mutilation is one that is dealt with through Hunter New England Health's African Refugee Women's Health Project.

It focuses on legal issues around the age of consent and female genital mutilation.

Professor Newman said the practice was driven underground, and education and awareness was the key.

"I think part of the difficulty is that many of these communities are still very much in favour of these sorts of procedures being done," Professor Newman said.

"We don't know the actual rates of cases of mutilation happening in the Australian community.

"We certainly know that these are widespread practices is some parts of the world, where up to 90 per cent of women have had some of these procedures.

"Many of our immigrant groups, who are often refugee groups here in Australia, the women have had these sorts of procedures, which then can lead to various medical complications and complications when they have babies.

"It is something that they have had for many generations, that they have deeply held beliefs about, and it is one of those problems that they're going to be very reluctant to discuss with helpers, clinicians or with doctors."