This comparative study presents the results on female genital cutting (FGC) collected from 20 Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) from 1989 to 2002 in 15 countries in Africa and Yemen. The report provides data on the prevalence of FGC among women age 15-49, as well as a review of the issues surrounding FGC that are currently being discussed in the literature. The report also presents the types of data available in the DHS for each of the 16 countries, describes the changes in the DHS questionnaire between 1989 and 2002, and identifies the changes in the practice of FGC over the years (the type of cutting, age at cutting, and person who carries out the practice).

This study shows that, contrary to popular opinion, the practice of FGC has changed substantially in the past decades. FGC is occurring earlier in the lives of women in a large number of countries, and the practice varies tremendously from one country to the next. It can range from a simple nick of the clitoris to draw a few drops of blood, which leaves no permanent damage and does not endanger the health of the woman to full infibulation, which involves the removal of the clitoris and the labia, and the subsequent use of sutures to close the vaginal area, an operation which often causes infections, leaves large scars and puts women’s lives at risk. The analysis also reports that in many societies, FGC is carried out increasingly by medical personnel. Also, it appears that ethnicity, more than any other demographic variable, is the most important factor in identifying women who are at risk of being cut.

The entire report is available at: http://www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pdf/CR7/CR7.pdf