Peer-reviewed article
Empirical linkages between female genital mutilation and multiple sexual partnership: evidence from the 2018 Mali and 2013 Sierra Leone Demographic and Health Surveys.
Ahinkorah BO, Hagan JE, Seidu AA, Budu E, Armah-Ansah EK et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study analyzed data from demographic surveys in Mali and Sierra Leone to examine whether female genital mutilation (FGM) is associated with women having multiple sexual partners. The findings were inconsistent between the two countries: in Mali, women without FGM were less likely to have multiple partners, while in Sierra Leone, women with FGM were more likely to have multiple partners. The study identifies age, education, wealth, and media exposure as factors associated with multiple sexual partnerships.
Key points
- In Mali, women without FGM had significantly lower odds of multiple sexual partnership (aOR=0.60) compared to those with FGM
- In Sierra Leone, women with FGM had higher odds of multiple sexual partnership (aOR=1.15) compared to those without FGM
- Education level, wealth, age, household head sex, community socioeconomic status, media exposure, and community literacy were associated with multiple sexual partnership in both countries
- The study recommends age-group-based risk-reduction strategies including abstinence education and assertiveness training
- Policy interventions like anti-FGM legislation and girls' education initiatives are suggested as potential approaches to address both FGM and multiple sexual partnership
Limitations
This is an observational cross-sectional study using survey data, so causality cannot be established. The inconsistent findings between the two countries suggest that the relationship between FGM and sexual partnerships may be influenced by different cultural, social, or contextual factors that are not fully explored in this analysis.
Abstract
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is very pervasive in Africa, with significant regional variations in the prevalence of this traditional practice. This study examined the linkages between FGM and multiple sexual partnership in Mali and Sierra Leone - two African countries with a high prevalence of FGM. Data were from the 2018 Mali and 2013 Sierra Leone Demographic and Health Surveys, and the study sample comprised 4750 women from Mali and 16,614 from Sierra Leone. Multilevel logistic regression was used for the data analysis, with reported adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and associated 95% confidence intervals. In Mali, women who had not undergone FGM were less likely to have multiple sexual partners (aOR=0.60, CI=0.38-0.96) compared with those who had undergone FGM. In Sierra Leone, women who had undergone FGM (aOR=1.15, CI=1.02-1.30) were more likely to have multiple sexual partners compared with those who had not undergone FGM. Age, level of education, wealth quintile, sex of household head, community socioeconomic status, mass media exposure, and community literacy level were found to be associated with the likelihood of multiple sexual partnership among women in Mali and Sierra Leone. Comprehensive, age-group-based risk-reduction strategies, such as abstinence education and decision-making skills (assertiveness) training, are needed to reduce girls' and young women's engagement in multiple sexual partnerships. Policy interventions, such as anti-FGM legislation and initiatives like the 'Schooling for the Female Child' initiative aimed at reducing social inequality among girls and women, might help decrease FGM and the likelihood of health-compromising behaviours like multiple sexual partnership.