A comprehensive study from Tanzania’s Dodoma Region yields three critical insights for practitioners designing FGM elimination programs worldwide. First, targeted educational interventions demonstrably work—the program increased awareness scores by 15 percentage points among young adults, with 97.6% subsequently recognizing FGM as a human rights violation.
Second, clinical reality often diverges sharply from self-reported data. The study documented 16.6% actual prevalence among delivering mothers versus only 7.3% self-reports, highlighting the necessity of objective clinical assessment alongside survey methodology.
Third, focusing on young adults aged 15-19 proves strategically valuable for intergenerational change. This age group possesses sufficient autonomy to adopt new perspectives while remaining positioned to influence future generations’ practices.
These findings offer actionable guidance for program designers seeking evidence-based approaches to FGM elimination, emphasizing education, clinical verification, and strategic age-group targeting.
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