Search Headquarters : Health : Reproductive Health : Pregnancy and Birth : Complications : Obstetric Fistula

The Fistula Foundation
Offering treatment and prevention through support of the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia, as well as programs across the country. Includes details of the hospital, and information about the fundraising and educational work of the organization.
http://www.fistulafoundation.org/

Love, Labor, Loss - A Documentary Film
Companion site to a documentary film spotlighting women in Niger, West Africa suffering from obstetric fistula. Copies available for a fee for community based screenings and fundraisers.
http://www.governessfilms.com/fistula/

One By One
Organization engaging the public and providing financial support to those who treat and prevent fistula in the developing world.
http://www.fightfistula.org/

Rectovaginal Fistula Information
Basic information about a rare but serious complication of child birth. Includes description, cause, symptoms, repair options, advice, research links and support.
http://www.geocities.com/dinimerz/rectovaginal_fistula.htm

UNFPA.org - Campaign to End Fistula
UN agency defines the problem and how it intends to address it.
http://www.endfistula.org/

WHO - Obstetric fistula: guiding principles for clinical management and programme development
81-page document in pdf format.
http://www.who.int/reproductive-health/docs/obstetric_fistula/

The Worldwide Fund for Mothers Injured in Childbirth
Founded out of concern for the many thousands of women in the developing world who suffer from injuries or death related to labor and delivery. Provides or supports education, advocacy, awareness, medical care, and research. Has a number of articles about the problem in pdf format.
http://www.wfmic.org/

NPR : Hospital Gives Ethiopian Women a Chance at Care
Complications during delivery are a leading cause of death for women giving birth in developing countries. At Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia, some women are getting a chance at treatment. [8:49 streaming audio broadcast] (January 18, 2007)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6907000

VOA News - Two Million Women and Girls Affected by Obstetric Fistula
Article and mp3-format interviews on the occasion of the 2006 UN report on the Global Campaign to End Fistula. (August, 2006)
http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2006-08/2006-08-03-voa32.cfm

UN Chronicle - Obstetric Fistula: Life Shattering But Preventable
Very long essay with many statistics. (2005)
http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2005/issue3/0305p04.html

NYTimes.com - Scholars Argue Over Legacy of Surgeon Who Was Lionized, Then Vilified
J. Marion Sims, called by some the "Father of Gynecology" perfected his technique of repairing fistulas on American slave women in the 1840s. This story is about his efforts and how he's viewed by historians. [Requires free nytimes.com registration to view.] (October 28, 2003)
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/28/science/28SIMS.html

NYTimes.com - Alone and Ashamed
Obstetric fistulas are quite common in Africa. A description of the problem, its prevalence, and what some people are doing about it. (May 17, 2003)
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/16/opinion/16KRIS.html

The Trauma of Childbirth
Website to accompany a radio story (available in Realaudio format) by Radio Netherlands about obstetric fistulas and their treatment in Nigeria. Includes details about the history of this complication and the money and resources needed to adequately treat it across Africa. (March, 2002)
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/features/development/trauma020306.html