Health-seeking behavior of obstetric fistula patients

Abstract

Background: Obstetric fistula (OF) is one of the most dehumanizing diseases on the earth. It is a disease that reduces the female species of humans to a subhuman level where a woman continuously leaks urine and/or feces through her vagina. This birth complication is devastating to our women folks, particularly those living in the rural areas. Objectives: We aimed to look at the health-seeking behaviors of women who suffered from this condition with emphasis of identifying modifiable indices that could lead to reduction and/or eradication of the condition. Methodology: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study where OF patient's health-seeking behavior was analyzed. All OF patients were recruited during the study period. Results: Fifty-two OF patients were interviewed during the study period. The mean age of the participants was 22.7 ± 7.6 years. Thirty-six participants (69.2%) had no formal education, and more than half of their husbands (57.7%) had no formal education. Majority (82.7%) of the participants were residing in the rural areas. More than half of the respondents (61.5%) had no source of income. Forty-seven (90.4%) attended antenatal care (ANC), and most of them (63.5%) had at least 4 ANC visits. Majority (76.9%) labored for more than 24 h and 35 (67.3%) had delay in reaching health facility. More than one-third (38.5%) were delivered through cesarean section. Forty-two respondents (80.8%) noticed urine leakage 2 days after delivery. Conclusion: Most of the findings here corroborated with the findings of earlier studies except for increased ANC attendance which might be due to increased awareness. The study clearly brought out the need to have deliveries conducted under skilled birth attendants to reduce/eradicate the menace of OF in our communities.