New DHS Report Examines Female Genital Cutting in 16 Countries
CALVERTON, Md., May 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Female genital cutting is on the
decline in some areas, and practices are changing, according to a new report.
Also known as female circumcision and female genital mutilation, female
genital cutting (FGC) varies among ethnic groups and has been widely
misunderstood, says the report.
"FGC is practiced in only about 25 countries in Africa and in some
immigrant populations in Europe and North America. FGC is nearly universal in
just a few countries like Egypt and Guinea. In other African countries, FGC
prevalence varies from 5 to 75 percent of women," says Dr. Stan Yoder, author
of the report, "Female Genital Cutting in the Demographic and Health Surveys:
A Critical and Comparative Analysis," published by the MEASURE DHS project
Comparisons of national surveys in several countries show marked changes
in FGC practices over time. Younger women are less likely to be cut than
older women in 9 of 16 countries studied, including Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria,
and the Ivory Coast. There have been fewer changes, however, in the countries
with the highest prevalence of FGC such as Egypt, Guinea, and Mali. Approval
of FGC is decreasing in Egypt and other areas, suggesting that even in high-
prevalence countries, individual perceptions are changing.
At the same time, the report documents an increasing trend toward the
"medicalization" of FGC, as more girls are cut by medical professionals rather
than by traditional practitioners. This trend is notable in Egypt where just
over 61 percent of girls were cut by a medical professional in 2000 compared
to 54 percent in 1995. The same trend is visible in Mail and Guinea, both
countries with very high FGC prevalence. In many countries, girls are being
cut at younger ages, even as the overall proportion of girls who are
circumcised decreases.
"FGC varies enormously in the time and the way it is performed," says Dr.
Yoder. "Practices range from a symbolic tiny cut on the clitoris to the
partial or complete removal of the external female genitalia and partial
closure of the vaginal area (infibulation)." In some countries, like Egypt,
FGC is an ancient practice, predating Islam; in some parts of West Africa, on
the other hand, the practice of FGC began in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Long considered the "gold standard" survey for measuring variables related
to population, nutrition, and health issues, MEASURE DHS helps developing
countries collect demographic and health survey (DHS) data by conducting
individual interviews in peoples' homes. The DHS first added questions on FGC
in 1989.
MEASURE DHS has helped conduct over 200 surveys in more than 70 countries
worldwide. MEASURE DHS is implemented by Macro International Inc., an Opinion
Research Corporation company (ORC Macro).
CONTACT: Dr. Stan Yoder
(301) 572-0840
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SOURCE ORC Macro
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CONTACT:
Dr. Stan Yoder for ORC Macro, +1-301-572-0840
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