A recent look for the implication and attitude of practicing female genital mutilation in upper Egypt: a cross sectional study

Abstract

Background: Female genital mutilation (FGM) was defined as the partial or total removal of the female external genitalia for non-medical reasons The Demographic and Health Survey in Egypt in 2000 showed that 97% of married women included in the survey had experienced female genital mutilation.Methods: This is a cross sectional study to evaluate the current prevalence of FGM, current attitude of our society towards it after illegalization of it as a cross sectional survey of Upper Egypt. The most important point in this study is our evaluation of intention of these women whom exposed to FGM toward mutilation of their daughters or not and reasons for that. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software version 21.Results: The study included 1175 women, from whom 89.1% were circumcised. Type 1 FGM was the most prevalent type practiced in about 58% of participants. Immediate complications occurred in 42.5% of women. Primary hemorrhage during circumcision was the most commonly reported immediate complication among 38.5% of them. Sexual problems were found in 40.5% of participants. Sixty-four women reported occurrence of hepatitis virus infection after the procedure. Moreover, 44 women were suffered from infertility and 72 women had an episode or chronic PID. Women who intend to circumcise their daughters are mostly those coming from rural areas (p=0.000) and housewives (p=0.000). Most of women (45.8%) who have the intent to circumcise their daughters claiming that it is religious based.Conclusions: The prevalence of FGM did not differ between urban and rural or between house wives and employee, lastly did not differ between different educational levels as most of them were encourage it thinking that it is of traditional, religious base and protect the girl from any abnormal sexual excitation. The women who intent not circumcise their daughters were from low educational level in its highest percentage and this was explained by occurrence of higher percentage of complications in spite of the highest percentage of operator was physician.