For six long months, Efrance suffered physically, emotionally, and psychologically from a fistula she developed while giving birth to her third child.
To Efrance, these six months felt like six years.
When her labor pains started, Efrance went to a nearby hospital. After arriving, she was told there were three other women already laboring, and only one midwife on duty to attend to them. Because of her difficult breech labor, and lack of medical support, Efrance developed an obstetric fistula.
Efrance explained that, after returning home, she experienced discrimination due to her condition and chronic incontinence. She felt shamed by her husband and community, and stopped going to church and other public functions, even though she enjoyed attending them and was a church choir member.
Desperate for help and support, Efrance decided to visit her church pastor for counseling. It was through those conversations with her pastor that she learned about UVP and its no-cost Fistula Repair Camps. Her pastor also helped connect Efrance with a UVP Fistula Ambassador for additional counseling.
Efrance, who shared her story with UVP staff as she was recovering from her successful repair operation, was overjoyed that she is no longer experiencing incontinence, and could return to her family and community healed.
