Female Genital Mutilation and Sexual Risk Behaviors of Adolescent Girls and Young Women Aged 15–24 Years: Evidence From Sierra Leone

Abstract

PurposeConsidering the high levels of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Sierra Leone with over 83% of girls and young women aged 15–24 years having undergone the practice, the study explores the potential influence of FGM on sexual behaviors of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Sierra Leone. MethodsCross-sectional data from the 2019 Demographic Health Survey were utilized to examine the association between FGM and three sexual behaviors; sexual debut before 18 years, child marriage and adolescent motherhood. To model this association, a generalized estimation equation technique was employed, while controlling for socio-demographic characteristics. Additionally, the study corrected for multiple-hypothesis testing using the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure with a specified false discovery rate of 0.05. Finally, percentage predicted probabilities of occurrence of the sexual risk behaviors in the presence of FGM were also calculated. ResultsOf the 5524 AGYW, 76% had undergone FGM. FGM was associated with all three sexual risk behaviors. Sexual debut before 18 years had the highest predicted probability increase (+18.00 ppt, 95% CI: 14.41 to −21.59), followed by adolescent motherhood (+13.38 ppt, 95% CI: 10.16–16.60) and child marriage (+12.61 ppt; 95% CI: 10.22–15.01). Education was found to be protective against all three sexual risk behaviors. DiscussionThe findings of this study demonstrate that FGM remains a prevalent practice in Sierra Leone, even among the younger generation. This practice is strongly associated with sexual behaviors that pose a significant risk to the health outcomes of AGYW. Investments in education by removing barriers to access for AGYW could lead to multiple gains.