Okukyalira ensiko or 'visiting the bush' is how, in Uganda, the Baganda people name the practice of elongating the labia minora, which young girls start performing before menarche. As a mandatory rite of passage that identifies membership of the tribe, one of its main purposes is to enhance sexual pleasure for both male and female partners. The conditions in which it is practiced involve certain physical health risks. In this qualitative study carried out in Wakiso district, a semi-structured interview was conducted among 31 Baganda men, in order to understand their perceptions, attitudes and knowledge toward the way in which their daughters practise labia minora elongation. According to our results, men highly value this practice for its capacity to enhance sexual stimulation even though they are aware of its risks. Since genital stretching is likely to endure, the authors discuss the possibility of addressing Baganda men by health workers in an education programme aimed at minimising the risks attached to the procedure and, hence, improving the sexual and reproductive health of Baganda girls.

Labia minora elongation is a common traditional female genital modification practice among the members of the Baganda ethnic group in Uganda. In 2002, a study carried out by the Padua Working Group on Female Genital Mutilation analysed how Baganda girls residing in Wakiso District graphically represented their experiences of labia minora elongation. In the present study, using the same methodology and in the same geographic setting 10 years later, we asked young men and women to prepare graphical representations of this rite. The purpose was to learn about how the practice is perceived and represented, describing the differences found in their testimonies, and comparing the findings with the former study. A total of 36 respondents (21 male and 15 female), aged between 9 and 15 years old participated in the study. The drawings were analysed using a three-themes analysis frame with a focus on setting, subject and operator. Differences were detected between how young women and men represented this practice. Educational interventions may be helpful to address the doubts, concerns, anxieties and misconceptions that Baganda youth may have concerning traditional genital practices.

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