Background: Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a deeply rooted harmful practice with significant negative health consequences. While FGM is often believed to control female sexuality, its specific relationship with sexual behaviors such as age at first sex and the number of sexual partners remains understudied, particularly within the Nigerian context. This study investigates the association between FGM and these two key sexual health indicators.
Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design (open ended questionnaire) to analyze data from some women of child bearing age attending Federal Teaching Hospital, a tertiary referral center in Ekiti state, Southwestern part of Nigeria. The relationship between FGM and age at first sex, as well as FGM and the number of sexual partners, was examined using Pearson’s chi-square test. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: A statistically significant association was found between FGM and age at first sex (\chi^2 = 34.165, p < 0.001). A striking finding was that 100% of participants who had their first sexual experience between the ages of 11 and 15 years had undergone FGM. A significant relationship was also found between FGM and the number of sexual partners (\chi^2 = 25.434, p = 0.003). FGM prevalence was highest among participants with two (81.8%) and more than two (90.9%) sexual partners.
Conclusion: The findings demonstrate a strong association between FGM, early age at first sex, and a higher number of sexual partners. These results challenge the conventional belief that FGM effectively controls female sexuality and highlight a complex relationship between traditional practices and sexual behaviors. Absence of FGM does not necessarily make a girl child promiscuous. The study underscores the need for targeted interventions that address the social and cultural factors linking FGM to sexual norms.
