MST-Department of Health Management & Informatics

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Browsing MST-Department of Health Management & Informatics by Subject "Anti-Female"

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    Assessment of Anti-Female Genital Mutilation Program in Garissa County, Kenya
    (Kenyatta University, 2021) Derow, Yasmin Hassan; Eliphas Gitonga
    Female genital mutilation (FGM), is a social traditional practice performed by cutting parts of the external female genitalia. Globally, over three million women take part in the practice each year. The practise of this rite was made illegal in Kenya in 2011 and a board established to spearhead its abandonment in a program referred to as AntiFGM campaign. Garissa County in north eastern Kenya has the highest practise of FGM with a prevalence of 94%. This study aimed to investigate the success of the antiFGM programs in Garissa County with specific objectives being to determining the level of knowledge of adolescents/youth of Garissa County towards the anti FGM law, to determine the attitude of area residents towards the anti FGM law and to determine factors that influenced the implementation of the antiFGM law in Garissa County. Mixed methods study design was used in this study. A cross-sectional design using interviewer guided questionnaires to collect data was conducted among 108 randomly selected participants and results used to answer objectives one to three. Desktop review of previous studies was use to answer objective four. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 25. Chi-square and Fishers exact were used to compare participants characteristics against study outcome variable. Of the 108 participants, 53.7% were female. The median age of participants was 23 years (Interquartile range [IQR] 15-40). The prevalence of FGM was 62% with the mean age of circumcision being 8.3 years (SD 2.7 years). There was a statistically significant association between practicing Islam and FGM (p=0.001). There was an improvement on the level of awareness of the antiFGM law among youth in Garissa at 84%. Two thirds of participants did not support FGM. Mothers were the main influencers and decision makers on having FGM practiced. Excision was the main type of FGM practiced with traditional circumcizers being the preferred circumcizers followed by trained nurses and midwives. Introduction of the antiFGM law and advocacy by NGOs focused on combating FGM has led to a reduction in the prevalence of FGM and a reduction in the support of the act. There is an increase in the medicalization of FGM in Garissa with evidence of the practice going underground. This study recommends NGOs to have a clearer focus on the method chosen in advocating for abandonment of FGM.