Expert Links VVF To Immature Reproductive System

Immature reproductive system has been associated to the rising cases of the Vessico Vaginal Fistula (VVF), a condition of tear between the birth canal and the rectum or bladder leaving the woman incontinent of urine or faeces or both.
A member, Old Girls Association, Government Girls Secondary School, Harbour Road, Port Harcourt, 1983 Set, Mrs Grace Mason Endeboh revealed this at a seminar organised by the Vision of Effective Education Advocacy Group, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in conjunction with the Community Secondary School, Kalio-Ama, Okrika, on the prevalence of teenage pregnancies and other vices in the institution.
Endeboh who is also the Deputy Director of Nursing Rivers State Hospital Management Board, noted with dismay the high rate of adolescent sex (premarital sex) among young girls and said this had contributed to the prevalent Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) among the girls as well as the VVF common with child birth in recent times.
Endeboh said “in course of my practice as a nurse, I have come across many cases of unwanted pregnancies of teenagers that resulted from premarital sex and the outcome most times is dangerous. Due to immature reproductive systems of these girls, some of them end up loosing the pregnancy, undergoes caesarian section (C/S) or they deliver normal and end up with VVF, the uncontrollable leaking of urine through the vagina.
“So many loose their lives out of criminal abortions which may end up in rupture of the uterus Pelvic Inflammatory Diseases (PIDs) and damage to the reproductive system and other associated organs”, she said.
According to her, young people are maturing early due to improved standard of living resulting in early onset of sexual activities and experimentation.
While noting that adolescents are among the most sexually active segment of the population, the nursing officer stressed the need for sex education in schools and homes saying “education on sex and problems associated with it should be made available to these adolescents to help them develop positive and healthy attitudes, values, goals and practices that will enable them express their sexual impulses and behaviour in a socially and ethically acceptable manner”.
Also speaking, the chairperson, The Vision of Effective Education Advocacy Group, Mrs Asikiye Promise said the seminar was aimed at checking the ill trends of teenage pregnancies, illicit adolescent love relationships, poor attitude to studies, inability to see the boundless opportunities education offers among others.
“Having seen this among the students, we felt a sure way of overcoming it was to organise this seminar to bridge the observed knowledge gap and believe strongly that it would enable them to avoid distractions from teenage relationship and its attendant consequences, take their studies seriously, make proper decisions and better choices as well as make them see education as a reliable means of empowerment and self-actualisation”, she said.
In her paper presentation, the founder and Coordinator, Young Minds’ International an NGO, Mrs Ibinabo Celestine Ogolo urged the students to shun distractions in the course of their studies in order to be great in the society.
Speaking on the topic ‘Think Great, Choose Right’ Ogolo said “a great life doesn’t happen by accident but as a result of allocating your time, energy, thoughts and hardwork towards what you want your life to be. It is using the 24 hours a day in a creative and thoughtful way and not using it to indulge in negative acts such as disobedience to elders, cultism, premarital sex, watching of pornographic pictures, abortions, negative peer influence, stealing, examination malpractice and many more”.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Principal, CSS Kalio-Ama, Mr Daturo George noted that the institution established in 1980 had come a long way in impacting positively on the lives and people of Okrika in particular and the Nigerian nation in general through its learning and character moulding activities.
In his words, “this seminar for which we are gathered is aimed at sensitising and encouraging our children to discover, harness and actualise those inherent positive potential in them. This is important so that they can be useful to themselves and contribute meaningfully to the society”.

Lady Godknows Ogbulu