Background: Obstetric Fistula (OF) remains a major public health problem in areas where unattended obstructed\r\nlabor is common and maternal mortality is high. Obstetric Fistula was able to be prevented, treated and eradicated in\r\nhigh-income countries; however, it still affects many women in low-income countries. To our knowledge, only few\r\nstudies have described the prevalence and factors associated with Obstetric Fistula in Ethiopia in population-based\r\nsurveys.\r\nObjective: The aim of this study is to describe the prevalence and factors associated with Obstetric Fistula in Ethiopia.\r\nMethods: The study used women�s dataset from the 2005 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey. The survey\r\nsample was designed to provide national, urban/rural, and regional representative estimates of key health and\r\ndemographic indicators. The sample was selected using a two-stage stratified sampling process. OF was measured\r\nusing questionnaire. The data is analyzed using descriptive and multivariate statistical methods to determine factors\r\nassociated with Obstetric Fistula.\r\nResults: A total of 14,070 women of reproductive age group were included in the survey. Of which 23.2% ever heard\r\nof obstetric fistula. Among women who ever given birth (9,713), some 103 (1.06%, 95% CI; 0.89%-1.31%) experienced\r\nobstetric fistula in their lifetime, which means 10.6 per 1000 women who ever gave birth. It is estimated that in Ethiopia\r\nnearly 142,387 (95% CI: 115,080-169,694) of obstetric fistula patients exist. Those women who are circumcised had\r\nhigher odds of reporting the condition (Chi square = 4.41, p-value = 0.036). In the logistic regression model women\r\nfrom rural areas were less likely to report obstetric fistula than their urban counterparts (OR = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.06-0.69).\r\nWomen who gave birth 10 or more had higher odds of developing obstetric fistula than women with 1-4 child\r\n(OR = 4.34; 95% CI; 1.29-14.55).\r\nConclusions: Obstetric fistula is a major public and reproductive health concern in Ethiopia. This calls for increased\r\naccess to emergency obstetric care, expansion of fistula repair service and active finding of women with OF with\r\ncampaigns of ending fistula is recommended.
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