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The awareness and practice of female genital mutilation in Lagos State, Nigeria
Esther T. Joshua-Raji, Itunu O. Dave-Agboola ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examines awareness and practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) among residents of Alimosho local government area in Lagos State, Nigeria. The research found that while most people have knowledge about FGM and its dangers, some remain unaware of the health risks. The study documents that FGM is commonly performed on infants and young girls and causes serious health complications including infection, haemorrhage, and childbirth difficulties. The authors recommend health education and enforcement of laws against the practice.
Key points
- FGM is typically performed on infants as early as eight days after birth or in early childhood, usually before marriage or first childbirth
- Most residents of the study area have significant knowledge and awareness of FGM
- A small section of the population remains unaware of the health dangers associated with FGM
- Known complications of FGM include infection, haemorrhage, difficulty in childbirth, and emotional distress
- Study recommends health education by health personnel and government enforcement of FGM penalties
Limitations
This is a cross-sectional study with no comparison group or follow-up, so it can only describe awareness and practice at one point in time, not measure change or establish causation. The study does not provide details on the actual prevalence rates of FGM practice or the effectiveness of proposed interventions.
Abstract
Abstract Background The extensive practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) is common in Nigerian societies, and it is generally done on infants as early as eight days after giving birth to them in early childhood, but it is usually done before marriage or before the first child is delivered. FGM has apparently caused pain to women, varying from infection, haemorrhage to difficulty in childbirth, even emotional distress. Objectives This study wherefore investigated the awareness and practice of female genital mutilation in Alimosho local government area, Lagos state, Nigeria to recognize the influence of the practice of FGM and suggest how to stop the danger of FGM in the society. A cross-sectional study was done to appraise the awareness and practices of female genital mutilation among the residents of Alimosho local government area of Lagos state. Methods A self-structured questionnaire was given to 301 males and females selected randomly, and the data were analysed using the Chi-square statistical tool. Result The result shows that while there is a significant level of knowledge and awareness regarding Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in this area, there remains a minute section of the populace that are unaware of the danger associated with the practice of FGM. Conclusion It is highly commendable that women and men should be educated by the health personnel or people who are well educated on the danger FGM imposes on their health in order to stop the practice of FGM, and the government should enforce the penalties on the violators of FGM laws.