Determinants of perception of female genital mutilation among women of childbearing age in Northern Senatorial District of Cross River State

Abstract

Female genital mutilation is among the reproductive health issues that remain a burden in many parts of the world despite various interventions. This study aimed to investigate the perception of female genital mutilation (FGM) among women of childbearing age in the Northern Senatorial District of Cross River State. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional design. The population of this study consisted of women of childbearing age in the Northern Senatorial District of Cross River State. A sample size of 590 respondents with a two-stage sampling procedure was used for the study. Data was collected using a self-developed questionnaire and analyzed using simple frequencies, percentages, and Chi-square at the 0.05 level of significance. The result showed that 390 (66.1%) of the respondents had a good perception of female genital mutilation among women, while 200 (33.9%) had a poor perception of female genital mutilation among women. The tested hypotheses revealed that there was a significant association between age (X² value = 65.986; df =3; p<0.05), religion (X² value = 81.889; df =3; p<0.05), cultural practices (X² value = 12.457; df =3; p<0.05) and education (X² value = 189.210; df =3; p<0.05) and perception of female genital mutilation among women of childbearing age in Northern Senatorial District of Cross River State. It was concluded that socio-demographic factors such as age, religion, cultural practices, and educational level are associated with perception. It was recommended amongst others that targeted, staged-based information, education and communication interventions should be implemented by the Government, NGOs and stakeholders, etc to improve reduce and control adherence to female genital mutilation.