Female Genital Mutilation: Awareness And Attitude Of Nursing And Midwifery Students In Afikpo, Nigeria.

摘要

OBJECTIVE: To determine the awareness and attitude of female Nursing and Midwifery students in Afikpo, Southeastern Nigeria towards female genital mutilation (FGM). METHOD; Information was obtained from 269 students of Schools of Nursing and Midwifery, Afikpo on their on their age, marital status, feelings about their circumcision status, problems associated with circumcision, who carried out the procedure and the accrued ‘benefits’ from the procedure and attitude towards female genital mutilaton through a semi-structured questionnaire administered by researchers. RESULT; Out of the 269 respondents whose questionnaires were analyzed. The mean age of the respondents was 25.3 with 87.4% belonging to the 15-29 years range. The prevalence rate of FGM in the study group was 54.3%, while 82.9% of the uncircumcised group were happy about their status, 49.3% of the circumcised group expressed happiness over their status. For the circumcised group, 41.7% expressed feeling of unhappiness and only 5.7% of the uncircumcised group expressed unhappiness. The feeling expressed by the 2 groups is statistically significant (X2 = 41.98; p< 0.005). Most of the respondents were aware of the complications of FGM with 86.2%, 83.35 and 75.85 identifying bleeding, transmission of HIV and painful coitus as complications respectively. Fifty one point 3 percent (51.3%) were of the view that FM curtails promiscuity, 7.5% of the circumcised group reported sexual difficulty as a complication of circumcision. All the respondents were of the legislation banning FGM and would not want their daughters circumcised. CONCLUSION: There is need to further raise the awareness of FGM and its associated harmful effects among women through health education and women socio-economic empowerment. Introduction Female genital mutilation (FGM) comprises all the procedures involving partial or total removal of the female external genitals or other injuries to the female genital organs whether for cultural or other non-therapeutic reasons.1-5 The recognition of the harmful effects of the practice led to the adoption of female genital mutilation in preference to circumcision, which suggests a misleading similarity to male circumcision.3 It is an age long practice that cuts across nations, ethnic groups and socio- economic status. 6-7The origin of the practice is not well known3 but it dates back to antiquity.7 Reference was made to it by a Greek papyrus dated 163 BC. 8-9 It is currently estimated that over 120 million girls and women have undergone some form of genital mutilation and that at least two million girls and women are subjected to it yearly2-4. FGM is practiced in at least 26-43 African countries10 that practice it.4 A rather high prevalence of 65% was reported in Benin, Southern Nigeria.7 However, it is gratifying to note that a generally downward trend is reported by many workers. 8,11 In 1995, the World Health Organization (WHO) described four broad categories of FGM operations.12 Type I is excision of the prepuce, with or without prepuce, with or without excision of part or the entire clitoris. Type II is excision of the clitoris with partial or total excision of the labia minora. Type III is excision of part or all of the external genitalia and stitching/ narrowing of the vaginal opening (infibulation). Type IV is pricking, piercing or incision of the clitoris and/ or the labia; cauterization by burning of the clitoris and surrounding tissues and any other procedure done on the external genitalia.1 The degree of mutilation varies from place to place depending on the type of operation. Types 1 and 11 operations account for 85% of all FGM worldwide.3 In Nigeria, it varies among the different tribal groups and is determined by the anticipated benefits as well as traditional and religious beliefs.13 In the Muslim North, type I is more popular while among the Christians and amidst Igbos of the South, type II is preferred.14 Type III is uncommon in Nigeria.14 FGM is u