How is it collected ?

Household surveys have been collecting data on this indicator in low- and middle-income countries since the late 1980s. In nearly all surveys, women of reproductive age are asked about their FGM status, at what age they were cut and by whom. If a woman has living daughters, the same questions are asked of her daughters. Most surveys also include additional questions related to the attitudes of women surrounding FGM, including women's rationale for the practice and their opinion on whether it should continue. Male perceptions are also solicited in many surveys, addressing men's awareness and attitudes towards FGM. In Liberia, only girls and women who have heard of the Sande society were asked whether they were members; this provides indirect information on FGM, since it is performed during initiation into the society.