ArticleBMC public health2025
Prevalence and determinants of female genital mutilation: current insights from ten at-risk countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Transnational strategies to promote female circumcision practice: voices from ghanaian families with relatives living in Europe and North America.BMC women's health · 2026Article
- Machine learning based classification of female genital mutilation in 11 Sub-Saharan African countries using demographic and health survey data.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Socioeconomic and national disparities in disability distribution among population in five East African countries: insights from the demographic and health surveys.International journal for equity in health · 2026Article
- Factors associated with female genital mutilation/cutting in Tanzania: insights from Tanzania demographic and health survey 2022.BMC women's health · 2025Article
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8 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundIn Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), several women and children are significantly affected by female genital mutilation (FGM), but there is limited studies on the prevalence and determinants of FGM due to a combination of factors, including cultural-political barriers, funding constraints, and ethical concerns. This study aims to address this gap by examining the current prevalence and determinants of FGM in ten at-risk countries in SSA.
methodsThis cross-sectional study utilised Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data of 129,182 women aged 15-49 years from ten at-risk countries. The included countries are Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Mauritania, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Chad, and Liberia. Data were sample-weighted and our dependent variable was mutilation status whereas women's socio-demographic characteristics constituted the independent variables. Multivariable modified Poisson regression analyses were performed, with a p-value threshold of < 0.05 used to determine statistical significance.
resultsThe pooled prevalence of FGM across the ten Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries was 53.5% (95% CI: 52.3-54.7). Older women demonstrated a higher likelihood of having undergone mutilation, with adjusted prevalence ratios (APRs) increasing from 2.69 (95% CI: 2.66-2.75) among women aged 20-24 to 2.86 (95% CI: 2.80-2.92) among those aged 45-49. Women with no formal education were significantly more likely to have undergone mutilation compared to those with secondary education or higher (APR = 2.53, 95% CI: 2.51-2.56). Rural residency was strongly associated with a higher prevalence of FGM (APR = 2.59, 95% CI: 2.56-2.61), as was unemployment compared to active employment (APR = 2.56, 95% CI: 2.54-2.58). Furthermore, women from poorer households were more likely to have undergone mutilation compared to those from wealthier households (APR = 2.66, 95% CI: 2.62-2.69).
conclusionThe overall FGM prevalence of 53.5% indicates a significant problem. Urgent interventions are needed and should consider significant factors including older age, lower education level, rural residency, women unemployment and poverty.
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