By Hadiza Yahaya Abubakar
Vesico-Vagina Fistula (VVF) has been in existence for centuries, however, the problem still remains a ravaging plague in Nigeria of which Kano is visibly prominent.
In this report we found out that Vvf survivors often live a tough life, many have been abandoned or divorced by their husbands and become detested by families and societies because of their smell and some misconceptions. What hurts them more is the divorce, it exposes their emotional instability.
A fistula Surgeon at Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Kano Dr Amir Imam Yola, explained that VVF is a woman disease, noting that prolonged obstructed labour as one of its alarming causes, particularly in Kano State.
Maryam Adamu Azare who got married at the age of 16 said her husband divorced her immediately she contracted the disease.
“I was in labour for two days at home, then I was taken to the hospital. I spent two days in the hospital without seeing a doctor, making it four days prolonged labour. I was taken back home, then I had a still birth, stool and urine started rushing out of my body. My mother took me to a hospital in Ningi, Bauchi State were they treated the stooling. Then for the urine, I took me 15 years before I stated receiving treatment in Murtala Muhammad Hospital in Kano.” She said
VVF Ward, Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital Kano
Maryam added with sadness in her voice “My husband divorced me immediately I contracted vvf, then I got back to my parents’ home. What we want is justice and for the men to be called to order, we were fine when they married us, only for them to abandon us in this state.”
Similarly, Fatima Abdulwahab from Yankaba, who got married at the age of 14 said she has been battling with vvf for 20 years since her husband left her, she promised never to get married again.
“Since I gave birth 20 years ago, I have been battling with vvf. Although, the baby came out dead. My husband divorced me when I contracted the disease, so ever since, I have been living in my parents’ home in Yankaba.”She said.
Fatima added “there is no amount of maltreatment I have not received even in my home. My ex-husband who made me go through this hell did not support me at all. I promised myself never to get married again if this is what it takes.”
She also said she gave birth at home because her husband forbade her from going to the hospital, according to her, the husband does not want other men to touch her.
On her part, 40 year old Hansatu Haruna from Tirgalli, Ghari LGA formally known as Kunci LGA said she gave birth again even after contracting vvf after the first birth, which made it worst. She got married at the age of 15 and gave birth at the 16.
“I have gone through 3 surgeries of VVF. This year makes it 22 years since I got this disease, I contracted it after my first issue, with 3 days of labour, then I was 16 year old. I sought help, and I was getting better little by little, then I got pregnant again. It took me four days of labour before I had still birth. Urine started rushing out with no control. My husband divorced me when we got back from the hospital, because we were told I had vvf again and this time is a lot worse than the previous one.” Hansatu said.
VVF Patient on Admission. Photo Credit: Google
Many more have similar stories and what they do have in the common is the age range, they got married at home and at the age of either 14, 15 or 16 and gave birth 9 month – to a year later. However, most of them had stillbirths and their husbands divorce and abandoned them with no support or pity whatsoever.
One of the caretakers, Khadija Auwal said men should be advised to desist from such inhumane attitude.
“As a care giver, I am also suffering, talk more of the women going through the pain. Their husbands divorced them in that situation without caring or supporting. We do all of that, it is so stressful and I really feel for them. The husbands should be advised to desist from such inhumane attitude as it is not right.” She lamented.
Dr Amir Imam explains why some of the women lived with the disease for ten years and even more.
VVF Theatre, Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital Kano
“Some of this women living with VVF for quite a long time is due to some associated factors and not just the VVF. Those factors need some healing process that is why it cannot be closed in just one attempt.” He said.
He falsified the societal misconception that any woman who has gone through vvf treatment ends up with the inability to engage with sexual activity and bear children.
The surgeon added “It is a wrong belief, those who you have seen here are just a fraction of women who were inflicted with the fistula disease. I am sure over ninety percent are there in their houses, living peacefully, having children. One thing we have to understand is that once a woman has VVF and she has repair, and there happen to be complication association with the VVF and the repair, then she is likely to experience dryness.”
A nurse at the vvf cetre at murtala Muhammad specialist hospital, Usaina Sale Muhd said what baffles her more is the fact that sometimes the husbands bring their divorce papers to the hospital without expressing any kind of pity. So the women are left with broken heart and a loose bladder. She said the health workers also provide emotional support because sometimes, especially after the divorce, the women always have the thought of giving up life.
Ladi Bulus from Bingham University Teaching Hospital Jos who are on a clinical visit at Murtala Hospital Kano said since her team arrived Kano two weeks ago, and that they have carried out 20 surgeries, she noted that they had the highest number of vvf patients in August which stood at 105, out of which 43 were operated on and 10 were placed under examination.
Compound View, Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital
However, she called on the women to always think about their health first before anything.
Meanwhile, according to a renowned Islamic scholar, who is also the Kano State Hisba Board Commandant, Malam Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, said anyone who abandons his or her spouse because of a medical condition needs to be enlightened on what marriage is really about.
“Marriage is done with love, sympathy and honesty. The moment a man sees a woman and decides to marry her, he is supposed to know that the union is a forever affair, in any situation, without separation due certain problems. Any man that divorces his wife because of a medical condition is supposed to be counseled on what marriage really entails.” He said.
Malam Daurawa added “We are calling on the men whose wives are inflicted with medical conditions, either by childbirth, child care or marital related, it is not right to abandon her. Even if it means setting up rules to prevent such acts that Islam does not support. We can also educate and preach to the men that women being inflicted with diseases like the VVF is not a reason to divorce or abandon them. So we are calling on men to sympathize with women, as long as they know the reason why they got married.”
This report gathered that what makes the divorce more hurtful and unbearable for the women is that, what the husband who is in the picture of the cause of the disease cannot tolerate, makes it almost impossible for another man to agree to, hence subjecting the woman to a high level of stigma attached to her. And that can clearly be regarded as Sexual and Gender based violence.
Although, a lot of Non-Governmental Organizations as well as Civil Society Organizations are trying really hard to curtail this menace of SGBV, the likes of Baobab for Women’s human right, Support for Women and teenage children (SWATCH), Centre for Legal Orientation and Humanitarian Aid (CELOHA), Bridge Connect Africa Initiative and Centre for Information and Technology development (CITAD), to mention a few.
It should be noted that, it is not just about the urine leakage, but the psycho-social consequences faced by the survivors.
Meanwhile, the government, NGos, traditional and religious leaders and the community in a whole must recognize the incidence of VVF as a major public health issue, if not, it will continue to ravage the lives of Nigerian women.
This report was supported by Baobab for Women’s human right under its 2023 media fellowship on SGBV Funded by the MacArthur Foundation.
