Abstract
Introduction: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) affects over 230 million women and girls globally, including communities in Oyo State, Nigeria. Despite international efforts to eliminate the practice, FGM persists, often sustained by traditional circumcisers and their male proteges. This study examined the knowledge, perceptions, and intentions of these proteges regarding FGM, with a focus on the cultural beliefs and social factors that influence their views.
Methods: Using a cross-sectional quantitative approach, 18 male proteges in the Ibadan North Local Government Area were surveyed to assess their knowledge, perception, and intentions regarding the continuation of FGM. A structured 18-item questionnaire and a pre-post survey 11-item questionnaire were administered. The quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 25.
Results: Participants reported that their knowledge of FGM was shaped by family (41.7%), community (29.2%), traditional circumcisers (16.7%), media (8.3%), and school (4.2%). While 66.7% perceived FGM as harmful to the women, 61.1% reported cultural or social factors as key to its continuation in their community. The majority (72.2%) acknowledged the role of education in influencing their knowledge of FGM, 50% expressed intention to discontinue the practice and one-third (33.3%) considered health implications and legal consequences (33.3%) as factors influencing their intention. A paired sample T-test revealed a significantly positive mean difference in knowledge pre- and post-test at a 95% confidence interval (∆x̅=0.178, CI=0.021-0.335, P=0.03).
Conclusion: Although male proteges demonstrated awareness of the cultural and health implications of FGM, their low intention to discontinue the practice calls for strengthening targeted educational interventions in addressing this issue.