Tribal Perspectives on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and HIV and AIDS Risks among Married Women in Nigeria

Abstract

This paper analyzed risk of contracting HIV that is associated with Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) due to the involvement of traditional circumcisers. The demographic and health survey for 2008 were used. The data were analyzed with Ordered Probit regression. The results indicated that majority of the circumcised women (89.18 percent) would not want their daughters to be circumcised. A Yoruba woman was 25.67 points more likely to be at high HIV risk from FGM than women from other tribes. Those that indicated cleanliness, social acceptance, better marriage prospects, sexual pleasure and religious approval as reasons for female circumcision were 8.85 percent, 3.53 percent, 7.51 percent, 23.45 percent and 6.68 percent points more likely to be at high HIV risk from FGM than other women. Those women that were resident in North-Central, North-East and North-West were 6.53 percent points, 15.06 percent points and 7.98 percent points respectively less likely to be at high HIV risk from female circumcision than those from South South zone, while those from South-East and South-West were 16.56 percent points and 8.51 percent points respectively more. There is need for efforts to provide proper education to dissuade traditional teachings on the benefits of FGM.