Female Genital Mutilation in Northeastern Nigeria

摘要

Introduction: Different forms of cultural practices are being practiced in Nigeria and other parts of the world. Some of such are beneficial while others lead to negative impacts. Female genital mutilation as one type of harmful traditional practices is a form of violence against women. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), practiced in many parts of the world, also known as female circumcision or female genital cutting (F GC), is the practice in which a female child undergoes a process involving the female external genital organ being removed partially or totally for nonmedical reasons, causing a lot of health and other problems during, shortly after the procedure and later in life. Objective: The objective of the study was to understand knowledge and thoughts of women towards female genital mutilation. Method: A cross sectional descriptive study. Results: Most of the respondents were aware of FGM but not as high as in the southern part of Nigeria. The majority knew the meaning of FGM and thought it as a harmful practice done for various reasons. Conclusion: FGM has negative impacts. It is highly recommended for government to enlighten parents more about menace of FGM through community and school health education.