Girls at risk: FGM intentions among in-school adolescents of a rural community in Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Purpose

Knowledge of adolescents’ intention to sustain female genital mutilation (FGM) practice is required to guide efforts to eradicate FGM in Africa and Asia where about 200 million women are affected. Nigeria has one of the highest FGM cases in the world. The study sought to determine the knowledge, attitude, and intentions of adolescents to sustain FGM practice when they become parents.

Materials and methods

This study is a cross-sectional descriptive survey of 195 in-school adolescents aged 14–19 years, in Imesi-Ile, a rural town in South-west Nigeria selected through a multistage sampling method

Results

Overall, 44.6% of adolescents had good knowledge of FGM, while 44.6% had a positive attitude and 55.4% had a negative attitude towards FGM. More females (57.4%) have a negative attitude towards FGM. About 42.1% of adolescents intend to continue the practice of FGM, while 47% have no intentions and 10.8% remain undecided. Gender, age group and family affluence were not statistically associated with intention to continue FGM.

Conclusion

Intention to continue FGM practice is high among adolescents in the rural community. FGM eradication campaign among adolescents should seek to improve knowledge, attitude and intentions towards FGM practice.

摘要

目的:需要了解维系青少年女性割礼习俗的意图, 以指导根除在非洲和亚洲影响约2亿女性的根除女性割礼。尼日利亚是世界上女性割礼案例最多的国家之一。该研究旨在明确当青少年为人父母后继续实施割礼习俗的知识、态度和意图。

材料和方法:本研究是一项横断面描述性调查, 对尼日利亚西南部Imesi-Ile一个农村城镇的195名14-19岁在校青少年进行了抽样调查。

结果:总体而言, 44.6%的青少年对女性有良好的了解, 44.6%的青少年支持女性割礼, 55.4%的青少年反对女性割礼。更多的女性(57.4%)反对女性割礼。约42.1%的青少年打算继续维系割礼, 47%的青少年没有打算, 10.8%的青少年仍未决定。性别、年龄段和家庭富裕程度与维系女性割礼的意愿在统计上没有关联。

结论:农村社区青少年中维系女性割礼的意愿较高。在青少年中开展根除女性割礼运动应力求改善对女性割礼现状的认识、态度和意图。

Keywords:

• FGM
• mutilation
• cutting adolescent
• reproductive
• sexual
• intention

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).