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Female genital mutilation in Nigeria
Author(s) -
Mandara M.U.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1016/j.ijgo.2003.06.001
Subject(s) - medicine , female circumcision , ethnic group , population , demography , sociocultural evolution , sex organ , family medicine , gynecology , environmental health , sociology , biology , anthropology , genetics
Objectives: To determine the prevalence and distribution of female genital mutilation (FGM) procedures in a Nigerian population. Methods: Five hundred consecutive women were evaluated for evidence of FGM. The WHO classification system was utilized. Demographic and sociocultural information was collected. Results: Thirty‐four percent of women were found to have some type of FGM. Type I and Type II procedures were the most common. Fifty‐five percent of women were unaware they had FGM and 62% with FGM did not know the reason. Twenty‐one percent of women said they were going to have FGM on their daughters. Conclusions: FGM is still broadly practiced among ethnic and religious groups in Nigeria. Educational efforts need to be directed at eliminating this practice.