Sexual Function Among Women Before and After Urogenital Fistula Repair; A Quasi-Experimental Study

Background Urogenital fistula, particularly obstetric fistula, poses a major health challenge for women, especially in low-resource settings. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 50,000 and 100,000 women worldwide develop obstetric fistula each year, which creates an abnormal opening between a woman’s genital tract and her urinary tract or rectum. It is estimated that over 2 million young women live with untreated obstetric fistula in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to evaluate changes in sexual function among women before and after undergoing urogenital fistula repair. Methods The study used a quasi-experimental design to evaluate the sexual function of respondents before and after urogenital fistula repair. The study recruited all 171 women diagnosed with urogenital fistula and undergoing surgical repair at (give the study sites) over (time period). Data on background characteristics like age and parity and sexual function score using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire were collected before repair and during follow-up visits three to six months after repair. The Willcoxon Signed-rank test was used to compare sexual function, before and after fistula repair. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results About a third of the women (33.9%) were aged 41 to 50, 42.1% were junior high school levers, and 40.4% were married. Almost all (90.1%) of the women had female sexual dysfunction (FSD) before the repair, and 1.7% had it after the repair. FSD after the repair decreased significantly (z = -11.14, p < 0.001), with a mean difference of -26.24 (95% CI: (-28.27, -24.21). Conclusion Urogenital fistula repair improved sexual function among affected women. While successful repair may lead to improvements, necessitating comprehensive post-operative care and support. Addressing sexual concerns in the management of urogenital fistula is essential to optimize the overall well-being of the affected women.