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Seventeen years after giving birth, Geeta Nayar continues to cope with bowel incontinence, a condition that began following a third-degree tear she suffered during a forceps delivery. Despite experiencing incontinence shortly after the birth of her daughter, Geeta was sent home without any offer of support or follow-up care. The impact of this injury profoundly affected her life; she withdrew socially, lost her career, and struggled under the weight of shame. Geeta, now 47, had no prior knowledge that factors such as her ethnic background and stature placed her at a higher risk for obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASI).
Another woman, Rhi, who remains anonymous, shares a similar experience. She has endured the same symptoms of incontinence following the birth of her son but has chosen not to disclose her condition to her children out of concern that her son might feel responsible for the injury she sustained during his delivery. According to the British Journal of General Practice, bowel or anal incontinence—defined as the inability to control bowel movements—affects 20% of women, most often as a result of birth injuries. Both Geeta and Rhi have welcomed new research initiatives in Wales that aim to bring greater attention to birth injuries, especially within marginalized communities, and to explore obstacles that prevent women from seeking necessary help.
At a recent women’s health event in Cardiff, Geeta reflected on the severity of her birth injury as a “traumatic forceps delivery,” sharing how she was left physically and emotionally devastated. She described how in the days following
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