International Family Planning Perspectives
Volume 27, Number 2, June 2001

 

Female Circumcision in Sudan: Future Prospects and Strategies for Eradication
TABLES

Table 1. Percentage and number of ever-married women aged 15-49 who have been circumcised, and percentage distribution of circumcised women, by type of circumcision, all according to selected background characteristics, Haj-Yousif, Shendi and Juba, Sudan, 1999
Area and characteristic No. of women % of women No. of circumcised women Type of circumcision
Pharaonic Matwasat Sunna Total
HAJ-YOUSIF
Total 1,114 87.3 972 68.7 3.0 28.3 100.0
Age
15-24 232 84.5 196 63.8 1.5 34.7* 100.0
25-29 283 90.8 257 64.2 3.1 32.7 100.0
>=30 599 86.5 518 72.8 3.5 23.7 100.0
Education
None 470 80.9*** 380 60.5 1.8 37.6*** 100.0
Primary/junior 507 91.7 465 74.2 2.8 23.0 100.0
Secondary 137 92.0 126 73.2 7.1 19.7 100.0
Religion
Muslim 1,004 95.6*** 960 69.0 2.9 28.1 100.0
Christian 110 10.0 11 (45.5) (9.1) (45.5) 100.0
Household possessions score
Low 651 79.6*** 518 57.8 2.9 39.3*** 100.0
Middle 267 96.6 258 76.6 1.6 21.7 100.0
High 195 99.5 196 87.2 5.1 7.7 100.0
SHENDI
Total 1,019 99.6 1,015 96.0 1.2 2.8 100.0
Age
15-24 133 99.2 132 (94.7) (0.8) (4.5) 100.0
25-29 218 100.0 218 95.9 1.8 2.3 100.0
>=30 667 99.7 665 96.8 1.1 2.1 100.0
Education
None 318 99.4 316 98.4 0.3 1.3 100.0
Primary/junior 501 99.8 500 95.1 1.2 3.1 100.0
>=secondary 196 100.0 196 95.4 2.0 2.6 100.0
Religion
Muslim 1,003 99.9*** 1,002 96.6 1.2 2.2*** 100.0
Christian 11 (81.8) 9 (76.9) 0 (23.1) 100.0
Household possessions score
Low 606 99.5 603 96.8 1.0 2.2*** 100.0
Middle 260 100.0 260 98.1 0.4 1.5 100.0
High 152 100.0 152 91.4 3.3 5.3 100.0
JUBA
Total 991 7.0 69 30.8 16.7 52.5 100.0
Age
15-24 232 (6.9) 16 20.0 20.0 60.0 100.0
25-29 245 (7.3) 18 † † † †
>=30 514 6.8 35 41.9 12.9 45.2 100.0
Education
None 487 (4.1)*** 20 (47.1) (23.5) (29.4) 100.0
Primary/junior 327 8.0 26 25.9 18.5 55.6 100.0
>=secondary 177 13.0 23 (22.7) (9.1) (68.2) 100.0
Religion
Muslim 81 59.3*** 48 32.7 12.2 55.1 100.0
Christian 909 (2.3) 21 (23.5) (29.4) (47.1) 100.0
Household possessions score
Low 762 3.1*** 24 28.6 28.6 42.9 100.0
Middle 208 16.8 35 25.7 11.4 62.9 100.0
High 21 (47.6) 10 (50.0) (10.0) (40.0) 100.0
*p<.05. ***p<.001. †Because very few women in Juba were circumcised, the age categories 15-24 and 25-29 were collapsed. Note: Figures in parentheses are based on fewer than 25 women.

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Table 2. Percentage of women who favor female circumcision, by selected background characteristics, according to region
Characteristic Haj-Yousif Shendi Juba
(N=1,114) (N=1,019) (N=991)
Total 66.9 56.1 3.5
Age
15-24 60.8 63.2 4.3
25-29 67.1 56.9 2.4
>=30 69.2 54.4 3.7
Education
No education 75.5 69.7 2.7
Primary/junior 66.7 55.6 4.0
>=secondary 38.7 34.2 5.1
Religion
Muslim 73.4 56.7 30.5
Christian 8.2 18.2 1.1
Household possessions score
Low 69.5 64.6 1.6
Medium 70.0 43.6 9.6
High 54.1 43.7 14.3

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Table 3. Beta coefficients and odds ratios from logistic regression analysis of factors affecting women's approval of female circumcision, by region, 1999
Variable Beta coefficient Odds ratio
Haj-Yousif
Age (yrs.) 0.0088 1.01
Education (yrs.) -0.1062 0.90**
Religion
Muslim 3.9418 51.51***
Christian (ref.) na 1.00
Household possessions score -0.3147 0.73***
Shendi
Age (yrs.) -0.0247 0.98**
Education (yrs.) -0.1091 0.90**
Religion
Muslim 1.4987 4.48***
Christian (ref.) na 1.00
Household possessions score -0.2960 0.74***
**p<.01. ***p<.001. Notes: na=not applicable. ref=reference group.

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Table 4. Percentage of ever-married women who plan to have their daughters circumcised and who favor continuing circumcision, by the type of circumcision they had and whether their daughters have been circumcised, according to region
Area and circumcision status N Plan to have daughter circumcised Favor continuing circumcision
HAJ-YOUSIF
Total 1,114 71.4 66.9
Respondent's status
Uncircumcised 143 10.5 13.3
Pharaonic 667 85.0 72.9
Matwasat 29 73.0 69.0
Sunna 275 85.3 80.0
Daughter's status
No daughter 237 na 48.5
All circumcised 271 na 73.1
Elder daughters circumcised 219 87.4 86.8
Not old enough 295 77.0 76.6
Old enough but not circumcised 92 15.9 17.6
SHENDI
Total 1,019 63.8 56.1
Respondent's status
Never circumcised 4 0.0 0.0
Pharaonic 978 64.5 56.6
Matwasat 12 (66.7) (58.3)
Sunna 25 42.9 44.0
Daughter's status
No daughter 210 na 47.1
All circumcised 335 na 50.0
Elder daughters circumcised 190 69.8 70.9
Not old enough 262 63.1 63.6
Old enough but not circumcised 18 (11.1) (11.1)
JUBA
Total 991 2.1 3.5
Respondent's status
Uncircumcised 922 1.1 1.2
Pharaonic 20 (28.6) (45.0)
Matwasat 12 0.0 (27.3)
Sunna 37 23.8 34.3
Daughter's status
No daughter 291 na 3.1
All circumcised 27 na (40.7)
Elder daughters circumcised 2 100.0 100.0
Not old enough 182 3.4 3.3
Old enough but not circumcised 489 1.1 1.6
Notes: Figures in parentheses are based on fewer than 25 women. na=not applicable.

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Table 5. Percentage distribution of ever-married women who favor circumcision, by type of circumcision preferred, according to region and selected characteristics
Area and characteristic N Pharaonic Matwasat Sunna Total
HAJ-YOUSIF
Total 744 23.7 7.8 68.5 100.0
Age
15-24 141 26.2 4.3 69.5 100.0
25-29 190 20.0 7.4 72.6 100.0
>=30 413 24.5 9.0 66.5 100.0
Education
None 354 22.9 6.8 70.3*** 100.0
Primary/junior 337 24.9 9.2 65.9 100.0
>=secondary 53 20.8 5.7 73.6 100.0
Religion
Muslim 735 23.7 7.6 68.7*** 100.0
Christian 9 (22.2) (22.2) (55.6) 100.0
Household possessions score
Low 452 19.0 6.9 73.9*** 100.0
Medium 187 31.0 8.6 60.4 100.0
High 105 30.5 9.5 60.0 100.0
SHENDI
Total 563 34.8 11.4 53.8 100.0
Age
15-24 83 37.3 10.8 51.8 100.0
25-29 122 32.8 10.7 56.6 100.0
>=30 358 35.5 12.3 52.2 100.0
Education
None 221 51.6 10.3 38.0*** 100.0
Primary/junior 277 28.2 10.8 61.0 100.0
>=secondary 65 9.2 20.0 70.8 100.0
Religion
Muslim 560 35.2 11.6 53.2* 100.0
Christian 2 † † † 100.0
Household possessions score
Low 387 43.9 10.6 45.5*** 100.0
Medium 112 17.9 16.1 66.1 100.0
High 64 12.5 9.4 78.1 100.0
*p<.05. ***p<.001. †Based on fewer than five women. Note: Figures in parentheses are based on fewer than 25 women.

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Table 6. Percentage of ever-married women who favor or oppose continuation of female circumcision, by reasons given for attitude, according to region
Reason for attitude Haj-Yousif Shendi Juba
Favor (N=744) (N=569) (N=35)
Good tradition 18.7 13.5 8.6
Custom 69.4 75.0 34.3
Religious demand 11.2 17.0 40.0
Cleanliness 25.7 26.0 62.9
Better marriage prospects 1.0 3.3 68.6
Greater pleasure of husband 6.9 6.3 31.4
Preservation of virginity 12.9 6.2 0.0
Increases fertility 1.2 0.2 0.0
Never thought about reason 0.8 0.7 0.0
Other 3.5 0.5 0.0
Missing 1.3 1.9 0.0
Oppose (N=368) (N=445) (N=955)
Religious prohibition 27.9 31.9 65.0
Sexual dissatisfaction 6.5 5.4 6.9
Medical complication 63.0 87.9 31.4
Painful personal experience 28.8 27.9 7.7
Against woman's dignity 4.5 7.4 22.6
Other 7.6 0.7 0.2
Missing 4.9 1.6 19.4
Note: Percentages do not add to 100% because of multiple responses.

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