The Devastating Effects of Obstetric Fistula

Globally, there are few conditions or injuries more devastating than obstetric fistula. Virtually unheard-of in regions with access to emergency C-sections, obstetric fistulas affect roughly two million women and girls worldwide and have severe consequences on the victims and their communities. An obstetric fistula occurs when an unborn baby is too big to pass through his mother's pelvis, and it's most common among young girls who marry and bear children at an early age. After days of agonizing labor, the area where the baby's head pressed against the walls of the vagina decays, forming a hole. The baby almost never survives, and, although the mother may survive, her life is never the same.

The direct effect of an obstetric fistula is incontinence of either feces, urine, or both (depending on where the fistula, or hole, forms in the vagina). It can either happen continuously or only at night, and its effects on a woman's health are severe. With urine and feces constantly leaking into sensitive areas, fistula survivors develop severe infections, burns, and scars. This can in turn cause kidney failure and pelvic inflammatory disease.

Nerve damage often sets in, causing women with obstetric fistulas to be unable to walk, or able to walk only with severe pain or a limp, and with nerve damage to the bladder that can cause permanent incontinence even if the fistula is fixed. Due to a combination of scarring, infections, and other factors, the victims often stop menstruating and lose any hope of having other children.

An equally agonizing consequence of obstetric fistula is its impact on the survivor's family life and mental health. Women with obstetric fistulas develop strong odors because of incontinence and infection, and are often ostracized from their communities. Most obstetric fistula survivors are divorced by their husbands, rejected by their families, and left with no means of supporting themselves. The psychological effects of these reactions are grave, and often lead to severe depression and suicide.

Fortunately, there is hope for women and girls suffering from obstetric fistulas. Nonprofit organizations such as The Fistula Foundation work with hospitals and clinics throughout the developing world to provide women with surgeries that can repair their injuries, treat their psychological trauma, and help them rebuild their lives. The effects of obstetric fistulas are grave and lifelong, but with help and support, some of these women stand a chance at regaining their lives, hope, and dignity.