FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION EFFECTS ON PHYSICAL HEALTH OF THE GIRL CHILD AMONG AMERU COMMUNITY OF KENYA

Abstract

Since the ban of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Kenya, the Ameru community continues the practice in spite of the associated stigma and adverse effects on the initiates. Basically FGM involves the partial removal, total removal or alteration of girls’ or women’s genitalia which in effect disorients the initiates’ physical lives. This study sought to determine the effects of FGM on the girl child’s physical health among the Ameru community of Kenya. The study employed the descriptive survey research design on a sample comprising of 408 girls who had undergone the ‘cut’, 48 health workers, 3 social workers and 30 Focus Group Discussion members selected by the use of snow ball sampling and purposive sampling techniques. Data was collected using questionnaires, interview schedules and Focus Group Discussion schedules. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 17.0. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data whose findings indicated that FGM negatively affected the physical health of the girl child and in some instances resulted in death. Thus, it was recommended that the government and non-governmental organizations should enhance interventions on physical health effects of FGM to alleviate the sufferings of the girl child among the Ameru community.