A study on female circumcision in Nigeria

A total of 181 women were randomly chosen from the women attending the family planning clinic of the Department of Community Health, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, from February 1984 to September 1984. Of these, 84.7% were aged between 25 and 44 years and most of them are Yorubas (70.7%). A high proportion (56.4%) claimed to have been circumcised but examination revealed that 24.5% had no clinical evidence of circumcision. The Edo tribe had the highest proportion circumcised amongst the respondents, 76.7%, followed by the Ibos, 61%, and least of all the Efiks, 20%. Age at circumcision revealed that most had their circumcision as infants (78.8%) and only 5.9% had theirs as adults, however, the Ibos and Yorubas had high rates of infant circumcision. Some of the respondents were aware of the associated side effects and it was found that the more educated women were less likely to circumcise their daughters. All circumcised daughters were from circumcised mothers except one and she had to circumcise her daughter in conformity with her husband's tribal practice. Accurate statistics of morbidity and mortality from female circumcision will be difficult to gather as circumcision is performed mostly in the houses, nevertheless, the complications are severe enough to merit authoritative intervention. It is recommended that public awareness of female circumcision, its complications and other attendant health hazards should be embarked upon by health authorities especially amongst the tribes practising it.