Men suffering with fistula are shying away from from seeking treatment,with most opting to visit hospitals late in the evening.
Yes, Fistula is not a women-only condition.It is in both men and women,only that the common fistulas occur in women and are birth-related.
What is Fistula?
An abnormal or surgically made passage between a hollow organ and the body surface or between two hollow organs.
Common Causes
- Obstructed labor
- Sexual violence
- Early childbirth
- Female Genital Mutilation
- Insertion of foreign objects into private parts
- Lack of maternal care
Symptoms in men
Fistula symptoms in men include problems with drainage of faecal matter and hygienic problems including sepsis problems and chronic UTIs
Fistulas are divided into different categories which helps in the management of patients.
They can be simple if made up of only one route of communication between the inside of the rectum and the skin.
Complex fistula occurs when there are multiple openings unto the surface of the skin.
Complex fistulas result from other issues such as diseases surrounding the anal canal and abscess which is a collection of pus.
one can have abscess adjacent to the rectum and when it opens out to the outside,you might find it has opened several channels outside that are also connected to the interior.
Men tend to have more cases of simple and complex fistula,as they get infections around the anal region,diarrhea,hemorrhoids and fissures.
They also sit on their problems longer than women resulting in fistula.
In Kenya,there are an estimated 3,000 new cases of fistula each year.Only 7.5 per cent of these access the necessary medical care for the condition. This leads to a high backlog of fistula cases.