Risk Factors and Symptoms of Uterine Prolapse: Reality of Nepali Women

Abstract

The aim of the review was to explore the risk factors and symptoms of uterine prolapse (UP) experienced by Nepali women. The literature review was completed by making use of Pub med, Google Scholar, and Medscape. The prevalence of uterine prolapse was found to be in the range of 10?40%. The grass root causes of UP in Nepal are poverty, illiteracy and male dominated social structure. These causes gender based discrimination, inaccessibility to health services, poor nutrition, early marriage, early pregnancy, multi parity in the need of son, work load during pregnancy and postnatal period, domestic violence, home deliveries, lack of awareness about UP, shyness to explain about reproductive health related problems which in turn leads to uterine prolapse. Women suffering from UP start experiencing a variety of physical symptoms like back ache, difficulty in standing, sitting and walking, difficulty in lifting, vaginal foul smelling discharge/ itching, sore or ulcer in protrusion of tissue, painful intercourse, burning micturition, urinary incontinence, difficulty in passing stool, etc. The psycho?social dimension of life is also affected by having UP. These symptoms affects almost every aspect of women’s daily living hence creating role limitation, physical limitations, social limitations, personal limitations and also psychology of sufferer. All of these finally have direct impact on the quality of life of the women.