Awareness of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Among the General Population in 2019: A Survey-based Study in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) includes "all procedures that include the removal of the external female genitalia, partially or totally, using a blade or shard of glass for non-medical reasons." FGM/C is a harmful procedure known to violates a person's human rights. This study aims to assess the level of knowledge regarding FGM/C in Saudi Arabia. Methodology A survey-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 2019 among a representative sample of the general population of Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire consisted of a set of questions dealing with the knowledge of FGM/C. We analyzed the data by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 IBM Corp., Armonk, NY), and the results were acquired by applying Pearson's chi-square test and calculating the frequencies. Results The study included 659 participants; 80.4% were females and 19.6% were males. About 93.8% knew about FGM/C while 68.3% were aware of the health consequences of female circumcision. The most common sources of information were the Internet and social media (54.4%). The overall prevalence of circumcision among the female participants was 9.4%. Conclusion Generally, our population had good knowledge of FGM/C. However, it is not enough to eliminate this practice. Health and human rights education campaigns and programs should be done to enhance public awareness. In addition, more researches about the prevalence of this tradition should be taken into consideration.