FGM: Osun Ranked Highest In Nigeria

Nigerians from different walks of life have condemned the continued practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) by a section of the populace.

This condemnation is coming on the heels of the day set aside for the campaign against ending of FGM.

According to Mrs. Esther Oke, a retired Chief Nursing Officer, she maintained that healthwise, the cutting of the female genitals can cause some health problems which may be long or short term.

In the short term, she disclosed that, “the female may bleed to death or contract some disease due to infections while in the long run, she may have problems associated with child birth and the female may end up being promiscuous since the outer labia which would have made her to enjoy sexual intercourse has been cut off”.

Religiously, she also revealed that there was no chapter in the Holy Bible or verse in the Quran which support female circumcision.

Mrs. Oke noted that female circumcision which internationally is referred to as female genital mutilation has Osun as the state with the highest rate of practice in the country while Ede North local government has the highest in the state and Ife Central local government with the lowest.

According to her, research also revealed that the practice of FGM was predominantly among the educated class and especially amongst the men.

Dr. Olagunju Olukayode, an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with Crustal Hospital, a private hospital in Osogbo noted that although the government had tried and is still trying, there is more to be done in the area of advocacy, education and applying the law to deal with offenders where necessary.

He maintained that despite government intervention, FGM was common amongst traditionalists and that it was a practice that was tied up with the culture of the people.

Both were of the opinion that contrary to the belief that any female not circumcised end up being promiscuous, they hinted that it was the circumcised female who has the tendency of being promiscuous because she may find it difficult to get sexual pleasure.

As per the issue of itching of the genitalia amongst female children, they both agreed that it was due to poor hygiene, as vaginal itching can be experienced by both the circumcised and uncircumcised females depending on how clean they were.

The theme of the year 2018 celebration is: “Ending FGM/Cutting Is A Political Decision”.