An aspect of women’s health is Obstetric Fistula, this is a serious medical condition in which a Fistula (hole) develops in the birth canal, either between the rectum and the vagina or between the bladder and the vagina. It is caused by a prolonged labour that presses the unborn baby so tightly in the birth canal that blood flow is cut off from surrounding tissues, and where there has been no medical intervention. This usually occurs in young, thin girls in communities in Africa, Asia and Arabia. At least 2million women in these regions are currently living with the condition. And approximately 50,000 to 100,000 new cases develop each year. This persistence of Fistula shows that health systems are failing to meet the needs of women. A 1993 study in Nigeria found that 55% of sufferers of this condition were under the age of 19, and 94% gave birth at home or in poorly equipped local clinics, this shows due to a lack of health care facilities, a women will not be able to receive a Caesarean Section if she encounters difficulty giving birth.
With Obstetric Fistula the woman will constantly leak urine or faeces, or both which is distressing and humiliating. Despite every effort to keep clean, the smell is hard to eliminate and hard to ignore and often drives people away, including the woman’s own family, and seeing as how it is most likely that her baby was a stillborn she will go through this grief all alone, the community will often cast these women out rendering them impure and infertile. Other than social stigma Fistula can also lead to chronic medical problems, including ulcers, kidney disease and nerve damage in the legs.
A simple surgery can normally repair the injury, with success rates as high as 90% with experienced surgeons. The average cost of one operation for one woman is
£120. Unfortunately, most women with the condition do not know that treatment is available, and cannot afford it. That is why the United Nations have launched a worldwide campaign called Renew, if the campaign goes to plan, by 2015 no woman will have to suffer from this condition again. The UNFPA also launched a worldwide campaign to End Fistula in 2003.
To begin with, one of the biggest issues with prior attempts of HIV/AIDS programs is that once a person was told that they had been infected, they were rejected treatment, as stated in Epstein’s piece. Luckily today, it is common for schools to have free HIV testing. This, however, does not solve the issue. Instead of having free HIV testing more commonly available in schools rather than at-your-fingertips, governments should fund worldwide clinics that provide free HIV testing and protection available to all genders. Said clinics could then pair with multiple insurance companies to make treatment as affordable as possible, because if one tests positively, they most likely cannot afford the medication. Treatment can cost from anywhere between $500-$2,700 for one prescription, which can reach
The reason why society advances is because of the innovations put forth by innovators. Therefore, it can be said that innovators are the reason why society advances. Bertrand Russell highlights three reasons why society is reluctant to the changes put forth by innovators. These are, “…the instinct of conventionality…the feeling of insecurity…that vested interests are bound up with old beliefs…” these ideas are all present in the play, Julius Caesar (Bertrand Russell 1). Russell states a number of facts about the way society views innovators and the statues quo, and Julius Caesar, written by William Shakespeare many centuries before Russell was born, demonstrates that his philosophy applies to all generations, before, present, and after his time period.
This time in life may also be very stressful due to the trend for medicalization of birth. The medicalization of birth is the trend we see in society today. There has been an increase in the use of medical technology. The cesarean section is the most common surgery done in the United States, even higher than a hysterectomy and tonsillectomy. Over one forth of birhs in the United States were cesarean sections. There are major complications that could occur with the increase use of this surgery. For example, the mortality rate is four to ten times higher than a vaginal birth. There is also an increase use other artificial medical interventions such as induction of labor and epidurals. It is hard to explain why women are choosing to deviate from traditional births, but it is a growing societal trend.
In 2008, 358,000 women died due to complications associated with pregnancy and childbirth. Most of these preventable deaths occurred in developing countries, with a substantial number occurring in Africa. In addition, when a mother dies from pregnancy related causes their children who survive are 10 times more likely to die within two years than those with two living parents. Furthermore, many women who survive childbirth experience serious illness, injury, or disability caused by pregnancy-related complications. Maternal morbidity includes uterine prolapse, pelvic inflammatory disease, vescio-vaginal fistulas, urinary and fecal incontinence, infertility and discomfort during intercourse among other lasting effects of pregnancy...
After reading the book which mentions the maternal and neonatal situation in Mali, one of the poorest countries in the world, is pitiable. (1) Child birth takes place under lantern light, in Mud bricks with profuse sweating without electricity, no running water, no emergency backup. With only the grace of God and the skill of a midwife that child birth takes place in remote villages in the country of Mali, West Africa, having the third highest total fertility
10) Zacharin, R. B., (2000). A History of Obstetric Vesicovaginal Fistula. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery, 70(12), 851-854. DOI: 10.1046/j.1440-1622.2000.01990.x
Postpartum hemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the world, according to the World Health Organization. Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is generally defined as a blood loss of more than 500 mL after a vaginal birth, more than 1000 mL after a cesarean section, and a ten percent decrease in hematocrit levels from pre to post birth measurements (Ward & Hisley, 2011). An early hemorrhage occurs within 24 hours of birth, with the greatest risk in the first four hours. A late hemorrhage happens after 24 hours of birth but less than six weeks after birth. Uterine atony—failure for the uterine myometrium to contract—is the most common postpartum hemorrhage (Venes, Ed.).(2013). Other etiologies include lower genital tract lacerations, uterine inversion, retained products of conception and bleeding disorders (Kawamura, Kondoh, Hamanishi, Kawasaki, & Fujita, (2014).
Most births will take place in a hospital under the watch of a medical professional, with drug and surgical interventions (Shaw, 2013, p. 522). By medicalizing pregnancy and childbirth, women are losing control over their own bodies. Many women are being convinced that pregnancy is something that needs to be closely monitored because there are many risks that come with it. In Jessica Shaw’s paper titled “The Medicalization of Birth and Midwifery as Resistance,” she talks about how medicalization of childbirth has disempowered women by taking over every aspect of the birth and crushing their confidence (Shaw, 2013, pp. 528). What this means is that the medical professionals are making women feel like they do not know their body making them feel uncertain and weak. Medical technology in this day and age does not allow a women’s body to do what it is supposed to do ‘naturally’ (Brubaker & Dillaway, 2009). What society is trying to tell women to push them down in social status, is that a process there body is made for is actually a condition that needs to be closely
While watching “Half of the Sky” video extras, there were short videos of women telling their story. There were multiple stories dealing with women having too many children because that was all they were supposedly good for. A woman in a video died because she had complication during labor. She had three babies within three years prior to her death and that was not uncommon in her country. If a woman were not able to conceive a child, they would never find love, it is the Survival of the Fittest. This was causing an over population as well causing diseases in the females that were sometimes fatal. A fistula is a hole in the vaginal wall that lets feces come out of the vagina, which are caused during childbirth. These women are left by their families due to their smell and are humiliated because there is nothing to help them. There are two million women living with a fistula and only 14,000 are treated each
Home birth is not an unusual occurrence for certain areas in our country. It has been practiced by traditional midwives and untrained birth attendants for many decades, since before the existence of modern medical facilities and hospitals. However by improving our health care system for pregnant women, it has managed to reduce catastrophic complications that lead to maternal and perinatal death.
Sepsis is a “cunning, insidious and non-specific illness” (Raynor, 2012) but progression can be rapturous with a sudden catastrophic circulatory collapse and mortality up to 50%. (Angus et al., 2001) Over five million cases arise per year of maternal sepsis, resulting in an estimated 62,000 maternal deaths globally (WHO, 2008) During the 18th and 19th century, puerperal sepsis resulted in 50% of maternal deaths over Europe (Loudon, 2000). The World Health Organisation (WHO) defined puerperal sepsis as ‘infection of the genital tract occurring at any time between the rupture of membranes or labour, and the 42nd day postpartum, of which two or more of the following are present: pelvic pain, fever 38.5C or more, abnormal vaginal discharge, abnormal smell of discharge, and delay in the rate of reduction of size of uterus (less than 2 cm a day during the first 8 days)’ (WHO, 1992).
Worldwide, the rate of cesarean section is increasing. According to the CDC, in 2012 the rate of cesarean sections comprised 32.8% of all births in the United States (CDC, 2013). Between 1996-2009 the cesarean section rate has risen 60% in the U.S (CDC, 2013). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 50% of the 137 countries studies had cesarean section rates higher than 15% (WHO, 2010). The current goal of U.S. 2020 Healthy People is to reduce the rate of cesarean section to a target of 23.9%, which is almost 10% lower than the current rate (Healthy People 2020, 2013). According to a study conducted by Gonzales, Tapia, Fort, and Betran (2013), the appropriate percentage of performed cesarean sections is unclear, and is dependent on the circumstances of each individual birth (p. 643). Though often a life-saving procedure when necessary, the risks and complications associated with cesarean delivery are a cause for alarm due to the documented rate increase of this procedure across the globe. Many studies have revealed that cesarean deliveries increase the incidence of maternal hemorrhage and mortality and neonatal respiratory distress when compared to vaginal deliveries. As a result, current research suggests that efforts to reduce the rate of non-medically indicated cesarean sections should be made, and that comprehensive patient education should be provided when considering an elective cesarean delivery over a planned vaginal delivery.
...and Gynecology. (2009, December 31). Clinical Management Guidelines for Obstetrician-Gynecologists. ACOG Compendium of Selected Publications , pp. 281-293.
Although male and female seem to face similar situations in getting access to health treatment, female seem to have more disadvantages in many potential aspects. Due to gendered physical fitness, female are more likely to be exposed diseases and infections, such as parasitization, viral infection, and genetic diseases; in addition, they are more vulnerable to other negative impact on health, including poor food safety, polluted water, accidents, natural disasters and other physical damage (Racheal et al, 1997). Moreover, women are supposed to undertake reproduction of a family, therefore, their reproductive health conditions are often worse than male, since a full reproductive process includes sex activities, family planning, pregnancy, postpartum nursing, and child raising (National Research Council, 2003). Throughout this process, there is much chance for female to get injured both physically and psychologically. First of all, female are more easily to get abused from sexual violence both in and out of marital relationships. They may experience violent oppression in sexual activities, and have to accept pregnancy under compulsory circumstances and family pressure. Second, female may suffer from depression, anxiety and other kinds of mental disorder before and after they give birth. Third, lack of appropriate postpartum nursing may leave female with severe sequelae and damage, especially in areas with poor medical conditions, and in families where there is a urgent demand for puerperal women to get back to daily work as soon as
Cesarean birthing method can be voluntary as well as involuntary. When a cesarean is chosen in advance it is usually because the mother has a history of infection, which could be transmitted to the baby when it is delivered through the birth canal; the mother has severe to...