Challenges and coping mechanisms among women living with unrepaired obstetric fistula in Ethiopia: A phenomenological study

INTRODUCTION: Obstetric fistula remains a debilitating complication of childbirth and maternal morbidity in developing countries. Few studies document the challenges and coping mechanisms among women living with obstetric fistula in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the challenges and coping mechanisms among women with obstetric fistula in Ethiopia. METHODS: A phenomenological study was employed among purposively selected eleven women with obstetric fistula and three key informants at five fistula treatment centers in Ethiopia. An in-depth interview was conducted, audio-recorded, and transcribed into a Microsoft Word document. The transcripts were imported into Atlas. ti version 8.4 for thematic analyses. RESULTS: Painful social life, consequences of fistula, and coping mechanisms with fistula problems were the main themes in this study. Difficult social life, stigma, discrimination, impaired marital status; psychological, physical, sexual, and reproductive health problems were the major challenges for women with obstetric fistulas. Women with fistulas used coping mechanisms such as—going to spiritual sites and drinking alcohol to cope with their fistula disease; separating themselves from community participation and living alone in the forest to cope with a painful social life; restricting the amount of drinking water and wearing many clothes at a time to cope with wetness and odors, and allowing their husband to marry a new wife to cope with the impaired marital responsibilities. CONCLUSION: Women with obstetric fistulas encountered challenges such as a painful social life, impaired marital status, psychological, physical, sexual, and reproductive health problems; and used coping mechanisms with their fistula condition, difficult social life, and impaired marital responsibility that may have an added negative effect on their overall health. Therefore, policymakers need to prioritize the availability and early utilization of obstetric fistula surgery in all settings for all women living with obstetric fistulas to restore their holistic health.