Histopathologic Evidence of the Effectiveness of Health Education on Female Genital Mutilation in a Developing Community

Abstract

Background: This study aims at determining the prevalence of the condemned practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) among the Igbo Ethnic Group in Nigeria. Materials and Methods:The answer was based on the study of cases of the epidermoid cysts which resulted from such mutilations, the sources being the histopathology data pool maintained at a Regional Pathology Laboratory servicing this Group.Results: The analysis of 55 positive cases revealed that, concerning the years of birth, from 1949 to 1998, none occurred in the last decade.Conclusion: This histopathology study characterized epidermoid cysts according to the years of birth of the patients. As none of the cohort was born during the last decade, a positive impact has been demonstrated in this hitherto thorny field in this particular community.