today in class we discussed the grisly details of a maternal disease called fistula, a scarring and killing off of tissue around the pelvis because of obstructed and therefore grossly prolonged labor (ie a baby being forced against your pelvis) - usually more than 48 hours, sometimes up to 12 days. if this prospect isn't enough to turn you off motherhood, the actual effects of this condition are to create a permanent and constant condition of incontinence, urinary and anal; in other words a relentless stream of urine and feces coming out of you for the rest of your life. it can also cause something called "foot drop" where the deformity of your pelvis causes you to drag one foot. both of these symptoms usually result in a woman being disowned by her husband, sent back to her family and alienated by her entire community, often ending up as a beggar. Fistula is most common in girls under 16, since it is most likely to occur when the pelvis is not yet fully developed and therefore not big enough to fit a baby, and it will last indefinitely if not surgically remedied. it is not uncommon in girls as young as ten. this disorder is actually extremely rare in wealthy nations since a c-section can easily treat obstetric obstructions and thus prevent fistula from ever happening.
have i mentioned that my program is occasionally depressing? other bright topics this week were killings of women in pakistan by family members when they left abusive husbands, the long term and unforeseeable effects of carbon in the atmosphere, the huge ratio of men to women in many countries due to selective abortion and infanticide, the widespread chaos and destruction of ecosystems that exotic species are causing around the globe, germany under hitler, and the spread of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis as well as its prevalence among marginalized and impoverished groups.
is it any wonder i'm so cynical?
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