Benaline C., 20

Cherop is a 20-year-old woman living with her parents in a remote and marginalized area of Mt. Elgon, where many expectant mothers give birth at home and rely on traditional remedies due to limited financial resources and low awareness of maternal health services. The family lives in a modest two-room mud hut and shares a pit latrine with neighboring households. Despite the challenges, Cherop is a cheerful young woman who aspires to become a healthcare professional in the future. She heard about Helpster Charity at the hospital. She presented to the health facility with complaints of back pain and abdominal discomfort and was found to be in the second stage of labor. Cherop delivered her baby but sustained a third-degree perineal tear, an obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASIS) that extends from the vaginal opening through the perineum and involves the anal sphincter muscles. This is a medical emergency that requires prompt surgical intervention to prevent complications such as obstetric fistula, incontinence, and the associated stigma.

Cherop presented to the facility with complaints of backache, abdominal pain, and headache. On examination, she was found to be in the second stage of labor. During delivery, she sustained a third-degree perineal tear, which required additional care and extended her hospital stay for proper treatment and management. After receiving appropriate medical attention, she recovered and was discharged in stable condition.

If the condition could have not been treated ,it could have resulted to infection, wound breakdown, pain, and long-term issues like dyspareunia (painful intercourse) and incontinence and fistula.