Perception and Practice of Female Genital Cutting among Mothers in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

Female Genital Cutting (FGC) is the practice of altering the structure of the female external genitalia and this has the potential of causing of medical complications and harm to reproductive health. This practice has gone on over many years with no proven health and social benefits. Persistent calls have been made for the practice to stop, yet it still continues primarily in Africa and among certain communities in the Middle East and Asia, of which Nigeria is not an exception. This study sought to determine the perception and practice of FGC among mothers in Ibadan, Nigeria. This cross-sectional study used structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire to elicit data on the perception and practice of Female Genital Cutting from the 106 mothers sampled by convenience from three primary health centres in Ibadan North Local Government Area (INLG). The data was coded and analysed using descriptive statistics and chi-square at a 5% (0.05) level of significance. More than half of the respondents (63.2%) had undergone FGC. Almost 19% of the respondents had circumcised their daughters at an average age of 30.8 days, while another 28.3% had plans to do so in future, probably at a later date. The major practitioners of FGC are traditional circumcisers (54.7%). The mothers' level of education influenced their practice of FGC (p<0.03) and there was also a significant association between having undergone FGM and the experience of dyspareunia (p<0.03). The most expressed benefit of FGC by the mothers is that, it conserves virginity till marriage and the negative effect mostly expressed was infection. More than half of the women declared that, their mother/mother-in-law's insistence was their reason for performing FGC. Although, the views expressed by the mothers on FGC, including its eradication, were somewhat impressive, this study shows that, FGC is still being practiced and many women are living with its negative effects. There is therefore, the need to intensify and consolidate educative and advocacy efforts to ensure that the practice is completely eradicated.