Table 3 Attitudes of Gambian health care professionals towards FGM/C
| Â | Total HCP (%) | HCP by ethnic group (%) | HCP by sex (%) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Â | Â | Mandinka | Djola | Wolof | Fula | Serer | Men | Women |
Do you think that the practice of FGM/C should continue? (a) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Yes | 42.5 | 57.3 | 39.0 | 20.7 | 42.9 | 23.8 | 45.7 | 37.4 |
No | 57.5 | 42.7 | 61.0 | 79.3 | 57.1 | 76.2 | 54.3 | 62.6 |
Do you think that girls that have not undergone FGM/C should be discriminated? | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Yes | 12.8 | 16.6 | 14.6 | 12.1 | 10.4 | 9.5 | 11.8 | 14.1 |
No | 87.2 | 83.4 | 85.4 | 87.9 | 89.6 | 90.5 | 88.2 | 85.9 |
Do you think that the practice of FGM/C can ever be eliminated in The Gambia? | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Yes | 45.2 | 39.2 | 31.7 | 64.3 | 38.2 | 64.7 | 43.4 | 48.6 |
No | 54.8 | 60.8 | 68.3 | 35.7 | 61.8 | 35.3 | 56.6 | 51.4 |
Do you think it is a good idea for men to be concerned on the debate on FGM/C? | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Yes | 78.3 | 69.5 | 85.4 | 89.8 | 83.3 | 90.5 | 80.5 | 75.0 |
No | 21.7 | 30.5 | 14.6 | 10.2 | 16.7 | 9.5 | 19.5 | 25.0 |
Do you think HCP workers have a role to play in eliminating FGM/C?(b) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Yes | 73.0 | 59.8 | 70.0 | 89.7 | 80.5 | 90.0 | 70.2 | 77.4 |
No | 27.0 | 40.2 | 30.0 | 10.3 | 19.5 | 10.0 | 29.8 | 22.6 |
What do you think of ‘medicalizing’ FGM/C? (c) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
It makes the practice safer | 42.9 | 56.1 | 46.2 | 15.4 | 41.7 | 21.1 | 49.8 | 32.7 |
It is a way of encouraging FGM/C | 16.5 | 17.7 | 15.4 | 11.5 | 20.8 | 10.5 | 17.7 | 14.8 |
It should be stopped at all levels | 40.6 | 26.2 | 38.5 | 73.1 | 37.5 | 68.4 | 32.5 | 52.5 |