What is obstetric fistula?

Obstetric fistula is a devastating injury that occurs during childbirth. It typically targets the poor and malnourished, and those who cannot afford or access basic medical care. Up to 4 million girls and women may be living with fistula worldwide, and an additional 50,000-100,000 women are affected each year. Almost all of these girls and women live in Africa and South Asia. Fistula is entirely preventable and has been virtually eradicated in resource-rich countries.

Fistula is caused by prolonged and obstructed labor when the baby's head cannot pass safely through the mother's birth canal. The constant pressure of the baby's head creates a hole between the woman's vagina and bladder, and sometimes between the vagina and the rectum. When the hole is between the vagina and the bladder, urine leaks through the vagina and the condition is called vesico-vaginal fistula, or "VVF". When the hole is between the vagina and rectum, feces leak through the vagina and the condition is called recto-vaginal fistula, or "RVF".

The continuous leaking of urine and/or feces results in constant wetness and odor. Many girls and women with fistula are socially ostracized. Many are so ashamed of their fistula that they isolate themselves from their communities, and others are abandoned by their husbands and families. Still, girls and women with fistula show remarkable determination and resilience, and often continue to support their families. They succeed against tremendous odds to live with dignity.