Obstetric Fistulas

Obstetric fistula is a tear between the birth canal and urinary tract. Between 50,000 and 100,000 women develop obstetric fistula each year, and an estimated 2 million women are currently living with the condition. Obstetric fistulas often cause women affected to be isolated, marginalized and suffer a variety of health problems such as urinary and fecal incontinence, infections and kidney disorders. The condition is largely a result of obstructed labor, a risk heightened the younger the mother is at her first birth.¹ Women living in impoverished regions, or in cultures that link a woman’s status with her childbearing ability, are more likely to develop obstetric fistula. The condition greatly increases the risk of maternal mortality.²