Fistula Surgery and Childbirth Education
A childbirth fistula results from a prolonged, unassisted labor where the fetus is unable to move through the birth canal and instead damages tissue of the bladder and/or rectum resulting in holes that make control of bodily fluids impossible. These young woman, who are often malnourished, married off very young or raped, are then shunned from their community and left to fend for themselves leaking urine and/or feces. Access to childbirth education to prevent fistulas and surgery to correct the labor trauma if a fistula has happened are both essential to putting a stop to this tragedy. The approximate cost of reconstructive surgery to repair a childbirth fistula is $450.00, a similar amount for a Botox shot. We are looking forward to developing a relationship with AMREF USA to support the work they are doing in many African countries where childbirth education and fistula repair surgery are desperately needed.