FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION AND WOMEN HEALTH: A STUDY OF EFIK WOMEN OF CALABAR MUNICIPALITY

Abstract

The focus of this research work is on how female genital mutilation affects women's health and also how to proffer solutions to curbing it. The sample area of the survey was Calabar Municipality. It was found out that female genital mutilation have a long-term and short term effects on women such short-term effects are severe pains, hemorrhage shock, infection, urinary retention, tetanus, and also some long term effects such as cysts and abscesses, psychological and sexual problems, Keloids, painful sexual intercourse, urinary inconvinences, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and other blood borne diseases. Some of the recommendations of this research have it that, governments should ensure constitutional protection of the rights of women and girls. Non-governmental organizations should be permitted to organize and operate without government interference. Government should devote resources to supporting information about the harmful effects of female genital mutilation to communities in which it is practiced and also support human rights education. The media should be used as dialogue on female genital mutilation and on the right of women and girls.