Table 2 Sample characteristics, knowledge and perceptions about FGM/C among male and female university students (n = 502)
Totala | Males | Females | χ2 | p-valuec | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
N = 500 | % | N = 270 | % | N = 230 | % | |||
Faculty, non-medical | 290 | 58.0 | 164 | 60.7 | 126 | 54.8 | 1.810 | 0.203 |
Residence, rural | 290 | 58.0 | 156 | 57.8 | 134 | 58.3 | 0.012 | 0.928 |
Mother’s education | ||||||||
Secondary complete/higher | 236 | 47.3 | 131 | 48.7 | 105 | 45.7 | 1.768 | 0.413 |
Primary complete/some secondary | 200 | 40.1 | 101 | 37.5 | 99 | 43.0 | ||
No education/some primary | 63 | 12.6 | 37 | 13.8 | 26 | 11.3 | ||
Father’s education | ||||||||
Secondary complete/higher | 264 | 53.2 | 135 | 50.4 | 129 | 56.6 | 2.484 | 0.289 |
Primary complete/some secondary | 208 | 41.9 | 121 | 45.1 | 87 | 38.2 | ||
No education/some primary | 24 | 4.8 | 12 | 4.5 | 12 | 5.3 | ||
Knows about FGM/C, yes | 438 | 88.7 | 237 | 88.8 | 201 | 88.5 | 0.006 | 1.000 |
Aware of any legislation that bans FGM/C, yes | 202 | 46.4 | 105 | 44.5 | 97 | 48.7 | 0.785 | 0.387 |
Source of knowledge about FGM/C | ||||||||
Family | 139 | 31.9 | 61 | 25.8 | 78 | 39.0 | 9.779 | 0.021 |
Educational curricula/health education | 161 | 36.9 | 64 | 32.0 | 97 | 41.1 | ||
Mass media | 90 | 20.6 | 49 | 20.8 | 41 | 20.5 | ||
Other | 46 | 10.6 | 29 | 12.3 | 17 | 8.5 | ||
Purpose of conducting FGM/Cb | ||||||||
Traditions | 353 | 64.8 | 191 | 65.0 | 180 | 71.7 | 3.247 | 0.355 |
Religious | 94 | 17.2 | 53 | 18.0 | 41 | 16.3 | ||
Medical | 21 | 3.9 | 14 | 4.8 | 7 | 2.8 | ||
Other | 59 | 10.8 | 36 | 12.2 | 23 | 9.2 | ||
Disagree with perception items: | ||||||||
Acceptance of the FGM/C practice | 279 | 56.3 | 141 | 52.4 | 138 | 60.8 | 3.510 | 0.069 |
Females should be circumcised before marriage | 295 | 59.4 | 153 | 56.9 | 142 | 62.3 | 1.493 | 0.234 |
FGM/C should be banned from media discussions | 336 | 67.9 | 180 | 67.4 | 156 | 68.4 | 0.057 | 0.847 |
The television is unimportant in preventing FGM/C | 323 | 65.1 | 168 | 62.7 | 155 | 68.0 | 1.521 | 0.221 |
FGM/C has religious basis | 197 | 39.6 | 102 | 44.7 | 95 | 35.3 | 4.578 | 0.035 |
Females are indecent until they are circumcised | 359 | 72.2 | 179 | 78.5 | 180 | 66.9 | 8.271 | 0.005 |
Circumcised females are happier in their marital lives | 278 | 56.0 | 140 | 52.0 | 138 | 60.8 | 3.825 | 0.057 |
Females cannot please their husbands if uncircumcised | 313 | 63.1 | 154 | 67.8 | 159 | 59.1 | 4.033 | 0.050 |
FMG/C enhances females’ personal hygiene | 274 | 55.2 | 132 | 49.1 | 142 | 62.6 | 9.054 | 0.003 |
FMG/C preserves females’ virginity | 282 | 56.9 | 132 | 49.1 | 150 | 66.1 | 14.519 | < 0.001 |
Circumcised females are more respected by community | 336 | 67.6 | 172 | 63.9 | 164 | 71.9 | 3.597 | 0.068 |
My future daughters should be circumcised | 295 | 59.4 | 145 | 53.9 | 150 | 65.8 | 7.227 | 0.008 |