PREVENTION OF FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM)

(A CASE STUDY OF FEMALE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS OF NATIONAL TEACHERS INSTITUTE, KWALE, DELTA-STATE)

By

Author

Presented To

Department of Medicine

ABSTRACT
This is a research work on female genital mutilation among female students and teachers of National Teacher's Institute Kwale, Delta-State. It estimated through proportions the prevalence of FGM among female students and their teachers in National Teacher's Institute Kwale, Delta-State. Recorded complaints of complications were made through indepth interviews of women who had been subjected to FGM and through focus group discussions regarding approval or disapproval of the practice of FGM in the locality. Promoting and sustaining factors were also sorted out from knowledge, altitude and practices of FGM within the Community. This study was conducted in a Teacher Training Institute in Kwale, Delta-Slate. Kwale is the head quarters of Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta Slate. Nigeria. Questionnaires were used; to collect data from 233 respondents drawn from the entire female student population and focus group discussion was conducted for a selected few respondents randomly picked. Personal interviews were also held .with some community leaders including men and women. Findings were sorted and analysed, summary of these include : (1) That, FGM is still being practised in the community with a high prevalent rale of 65%. (2) No new promoting factors were particularly identified but the commonly identified ones include culture and tradition, ignorance, myths, illiteracy and religion. These were merely confirmed as promoting and sustaining factors. (3) That, as much as 50% of the circumcision took, place in pregnancy. (4) That, in the pre-pregnant slate, 60% of victims of genital mutilation arc children under 5 years of age. (5) That, 1 out of every 5 victims of genital mutilation in the prc-prcgnanl slate, is a neonatal infant. (6) There is a gradual but slow declining trend in the practice of FGM in the area. (7) Complications were few. (8) As much as 17% of respondents indicated disapproval in intervention aimed at discontinuing the practice, (9) Majority (83%) of respondents are in favour of discountinuing with the practice. Conclusions and recommendations were then made based on these findings.