Prevalence and Factors Associated with Genital Tobacco Powder Use among Women in The Gambia

Authors

Abstract

Background: Genital tobacco powder, locally known as "tabaa," is a mixture of powdered tobacco and other substances that women use vaginally for sexual enhancement. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with genital tobacco powder use among women in The Gambia.

Methods: A sequential exploratory mixed approach was used. The research was carried out in two areas of The Gambia: one rural (Farafenni) and one urban (Banjul). Thirty (30) participants were recruited (30) for the qualitative study while the quantitative study interviewed (400) women using a structured questionnaire that was developed from the qualitative results. SPSS version 22 and STATA version 7 were used to analyse the data.

Results: Most of the study participants were between 30-39 years old and were married. The prevalence (17.0%; n=68) of genital tobacco powder was high among women aged 40 years and above (OR = 2.88; 95% CI = 1.03–8.05; p = 0.04), from Farafenni and satellite villages (OR = 2.01; 95% CI = 1.02-3.96; p = 0.04), had non-formal education (OR = 3.09; 95% CI 0.85–11.26; p = 0.02) and had husbands who travelled for 6 (OR = 6.67; 95% CI = 1.71–26.01; p= 0.006) or  12 or more months (OR = 9.64; 95% CI 3.19-29.18; p<0.001). The perception of women and peer influence were associated with genital tobacco powder use.

Conclusion: Genital tobacco powder is practised all over the Gambia and is highest in rural areas. Socio-demographic variables such as age, residence, marital status, and education status were significantly associated with the practice. Awareness creation is believed to be the most important intervention to mitigate this practice.

Keywords: Genital tobacco, tobacco powder, tabaa, intravaginal practices, prevalence, Gambia.

Author Biographies

M Jaiteh, Pan African University, Life and Earth Sciences Institute (Including Health and Agriculture), University of Ibadan,

Musa Jaiteh is a Gambian born on the 2nd of December 1993 in a village called Jigimar in the North Bank Region of The Gambia. He attended Farafenni Senior Secondary School from 2011 to 2014 and proceeded to The Gambia College School of Nursing and Midwifery from 2016 to 2019 to become a State Registered Nurse (SRN).   Musa worked as a Laboratory Assistant at Farafenni General Hospital from 2015 to 2016. He was promoted to SRN after his nursing program at the same hospital in 2020. Musa obtained MSc in Reproductive Health Sciences from the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Pan African University Life and Earth Sciences Institute, University of Ibadan in 2022.

 

OA Awolude, 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology & Infectious Disease Institute, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan/ University College Hospital, PMB 5017, G.P.O. Ibadan, Nigeria.

 

 

H Tunkara-Bah, University of The Gambia

 

 

JW Jatta

Directorate of Health Research, Ministry of Health, The Gambia; 5Directorate of Nursing, Ministry of Health, The Gambia

 

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Published

2023-11-09

Issue

Vol. 41 No. 3 (2023): Tropical Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Section

Original Articles

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