Mother’s Perception towards Hazards of Female Circumcision in Rural Community

Abstract

Background: Female circumcision is any procedure involving the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess mother's perception toward hazards of female circumcision in rural community. Design: descriptive research design was used to conduct this study. Setting: the study was conducted at MCH centers in Beni-suef city. Sample: A purposive sample of three hundred mother having female daughters at the age of 7 to 15 years who have done circumcision or not was selected. Tools: two tools were used for data collection, first tools divided into three parts, structured interviewing questionnaire to assess socio-demographic data of mothers, knowledge of mothers regarding female circumcision and its hazards, part three to assess predisposing factors leading to female circumcision, and the reported practices of mothers regarding hazards after circumcision, second tool to assess attitude of mothers toward hazards of female circumcision in rural community. Results: the mean age of mothers was 34.3 ±4.1 years, nearly half of mothers had satisfactory level of knowledge regarding female circumcision, more than two fifths of them done practices regarding hazards after circumcision and nearly three fifth of them had positive attitude regarding female circumcision. Conclusion: there is significance relationship between studied mothers knowledge, practice and attitude with their sociodemographic characteristics and there is significance correlation between knowledge of the studied mothers and their attitude regarding female circumcision. Recommendation: Increase mothers awareness about female circumcision through outpatient clinics and MCH centers.