The Sun Rose More
Than Twice on Amina
by Mme. Maiga Amsou Amadou
A
m i n a w a s j u s t 17
a n d expecting her
first b a b y . S h e h a d
m a r r i e d at 15 b u t
h e r h u s b a n d left
s o o n after A m i n a f o u n d s h e
was pregnant. W h e n A m i n a
went i n t o l a b o r b u t m a d e no
progress, h e r family took h e r
to t h e n e a r e s t r u r a l d i s p e n s a r y , first by c a r t , t h e n by
dugout canoe. She stayed
there for the best p a r t of two
days, suffering p a i n , h i g h t e m perature
a n d low
blood
pressure, with no progress.
S h e w a s referred to a h e a l t h
post, b u t m o n e y w a s s h o r t . So,
the family w e n t b a c k h o m e
first to try to find m o r e f u n d s .
Selling, borrowing and
s e e k i n g gifts t o o k two m o r e
d a y s . A m i n a w a s n o w i n extreme distress a n d barely
c o n s c i o u s . T h e y p u t her o n a
c a r t a n d set off a g a i n . T h e
h e a l t h post they decided on
w a s too far, so they w e n t to
a n o t h e r r u r a l d i s p e n s a r y . Fortunately, a nurse was visiting
from the d i s t r i c t m e d i c a l c e n ter. He w a s s h o c k e d by
A m i n a ' s c o n d i t i o n . He w a s n ' t
s u r e he c o u l d h e l p her, b u t he
k n e w she w o u l d die if he
d i d n ' t . He decided he m i g h t as
well try, a l t h o u g h he w a s short
of even the m o s t b a s i c d r u g s
and equipment.
A m i n a was semi-comatose. Her t e m p e r a t u r e was
over 4 0 d e g r e e s C e n t i g r a d e ,
h e r blood p r e s s u r e w a s d a n gerously low, the h e a d of the
fetus w a s fast s t u c k i n h e r
v u l v a , a n d t h e r e w a s a fetid
smell that indicated an advanced state of i n f e c t i o n . T h e
fetal h e a r t w a s n o t b e a t i n g .
The only choice w a s to perform
an episiotomy as q u i c k l y as
possible a n d remove the fetus.
The
nurse
hesitated,
t h o u g h o n l y for a m o m e n t . He
h a d w o r k e d i n a city h o s p i t a l
a n d k n e w w h a t to do. T h e r e
were no s c i s s o r s . He m a d e do
w i t h a scalpel, r e m o v i n g a dead
m a l e fetus t h a t h a d a l r e a d y
begun
to d e c o m p o s e .
A
p e r i n e a l s u t u r e w a s followed
by a m a s s i v e dose of a n t i b i o t ^ 68, The Sun...
ON THE PULSE
M e d i c a r science often fails
to recognize the l i n k between
women's hormonal balance
a n d the r i s k of c h r o n i c d i s eases s u c h a s b r e a s t e n d o m e trial a n d ovarian cancer, card i o v a s c u l a r d i s e a s e s a n d osteoporosis, says a n e w P o p u l a t i o n C o u n c i l report.
In "What We Do and Do Not
Know About the
Menstrual
Cycle; or, Questions
Scientists
Could Be Asking",
epidemiologist D r . S i o b a n H a r l o w c h a l lenges r e s e a r c h e r s to u n d e r take a c o m p r e h e n s i v e s t u d y of
the m e n s t r u a l cycle t h a t goes
b e y o n d q u e s t i o n s of fertility.
66
"The m e n s t r u a l cycle appears
to m o d u l a t e several aspects of
w o m e n ' s physiology, i n c l u d i n g
h e a r t rate, p u l s e , t r a n s i t time
a n d blood p r e s s u r e , energy
metabolism, a n d various asp e c t s of i m m u n e f u n c t i o n , "
says D r . H a r l o w . " A l l too often,
the m e n s t r u a l cycle is viewed
s o l e l y a s a m e c h a n i s m to
achieve p r e g n a n c y . T h e c o n t i n u e d failure to perceive a n d
i n v e s t i g a t e l i n k a g e s between
menstruation and women's
h e a l t h c a r r i e s great cost."
T h e report c a l l s for m o r e
research o n certain breast
c a n c e r t r e a t m e n t s , c i t i n g evi-
Women in Action No. 3, 1996
dence t h a t the t i m i n g of s u r gery d u r i n g a w o m a n ' s m e n s t r u a l c y c l e m a y affect h e r
c h a n c e of s u r v i v a l . D r . H a r l o w
also r e c o m m e n d s additional
research into m e n s t r u a l dysfunction that causes substant i a l d i s r u p t i o n to w o m e n ' s
d a i l y lives.
For more information, contact:
Population
Council,
One Dag Hammarskjold
Plaza,
New York, NY 10017, USA
Tel: (+1 212)339
0500
Fax: (+1 212) 755 6052
miDWIVES ON biKES
Traffic p r o b l e m s h a v e b e c o m e so b a d i n B a n g k o k , T h a i l a n d ,
t h a t h e a l t h a u t h o r i t i e s are n o w fielding m o t o r c y c l e - m o u n t e d
m i d w i v e s to a s s i s t d e l i v e r i n g m o t h e r s c a u g h t i n traffic j a m s .
T h e midwife t e a m s w i l l h e l p deliver b a b i e s o n t h e spot.
A c c o r d i n g to T h e p p a n o m M u a n g m a n , a d v i s e r a t t h e M i n i s try of P u b l i c H e a l t h , these m i d w i v e s w i l l be s t a t i o n e d n e a r traffic
p o s t s a r o u n d t h e c i t y a n d w i l l be able to r e s p o n d i n m i n u t e s to
police r a d i o c a l l s for h e l p .
A n e s t i m a t e d 1 0 0 w o m e n a r e s t u c k i n t h e city's n o t o r i o u s
traffic j a m s every m o n t h a n d forced to deliver t h e i r b a b i e s i n
cars.
T h e p p a n o m eilso w a n t s to give t a x i d r i v e r s midwife t r a i n i n g
but the scheme is awaiting funding.
Source: Health Alert, 1-15 April 1996.
(Cracks..., continued from p. 64)
these w o m e n s h a r e i n f o r m a t i o n , first w i t h e a c h other, a n d
t h e n w i t h t h e larger c o m m u nity.
Geller's o w n consciousness w a s r a i s e d w h i l e t a k i n g
her studies i n E d u c a t i o n w h e n
she e n c o u n t e r e d t h e w o r k of
Phyllis Chester whose book
Women and Madness,
published i n 1972, argues that
w o m e n are labelled m e n t a l l y i l l
for behavior t h a t w o u l d be a p p l a u d e d i n m e n . C h e s t e r says
traditional methods use a
" s u b t l e s y s t e m o f r e w a r d " to
b r i n g w o m e n to terms w i t h
their male-defined roles i n society.
Geller surveyed current
therapeutic approaches a n d
c o n c l u d e d t h a t they were, for
the m o s t part, a n t i t h e t i c a l to
feminism. "That w a s when 1
k n e w we w o u l d have to d o o u r
o w n r e s e a r c h , a n d since t h e n ,
the need to have f e m i n i s t a p p r o a c h [has been] a major
interest of m i n e . "
ESSENCE OF FEMINIST THERAPY
What is feminist therapy?
A t i t s core i s e m p o w e r m e n t of
the client, says Geller. F e m i n i s t t h e r a p y grew o u t o f t h e
women's movement's early
68
days when consciousnessr a i s i n g w a s c o n s i d e r e d the key
to societal change. B u t i n the
eyes of the t h e r a p y e s t a b l i s h ment, feminist therapists
without traditional qualifications a r e often c o n s i d e r e d
n o t h i n g more t h a n q u i r k y feelgood t h e r a p i s t s , w i t h a b o u t a s
m u c h professional credibility
as soothsayers a n d fortune
tellers.
Clinics still hire only
people w i t h recognized q u a l i fications—psychiatric
nurses,
psychologists, psychiatrists
a n d social workers. B u t the
network's activists eire w o r k i n g
to change that. They see a n opportunity i n Saskatchewan's
revamped health system,
w h i c h gives e a c h c o m m u n i t y
its o w n health board. The
n e t w o r k ' s next p l a n i s to lobby
people o n t h e h e a l t h boards,
thereby getting at the core of
the h e a l t h s y s t e m .
Joanne Reid is one of the regional
coordinators
of the
particular
Healthsl-uiring issue where this article first appeared. She has been
working as a
Winnipeg-based
freelance writer and researcher for
15 years.
Source: Healthsharing, Spring/
Summer 1993.
Women in Action No. 3,1996
(The Sun..., continued from p.
66)
ics, the only treatment possible i n view of l a c k of
medicines.
There was nothing more he
c o u l d do. T h e n e x t t a s k w a s to
get A m i n a to a d i s t r i c t m e d i c a l center a s s o o n a s p o s s i b l e .
A m a z i n g l y i n t h i s a r e a of N i geria, w h e r e y o u go s o m e t i m e s
for days w i t h o u t seeing a vehicle, a c a r c a m e b y a n d t h e
driver w a s w i l l i n g to take
A m i n a to t h e m e d i c a l c e n t e r
t h o u g h it m e a n t a 6 0 k m t r i p
b a c k to w h e r e h e h a d c o m e
from.
Several h o u r s later, h e resumed his original journey
and passed the r u r a l dispensary again. T h e d i s p e n s a r y
staff w e r e d e l i g h t e d to h e a r
that A m i n a h a d s u r v i v e d the
j o u r n e y to t h e m e d i c a l center.
The n u r s e r e t u r n e d to t h e d i s t r i c t d i s p e n s a r y a few d a y s
later to f i n d A m i n a alive b u t
exhausted. She h a d survived,
b u t h e r u r i n e w o u l d n o t stop
r u n n i n g . A m i n a h a d a vesicov a g i n a l fistula, a c o m p l i c a t i o n
of o b s t r u c t e d l a b o r . T h e u r i n e
n o w flows s t r a i g h t f r o m t h e
b l a d d e r to t h e v a g i n a .
W h a t lies a h e a d for A m i n a ?
At t h e age of 17, i n c o n t i n e n t ,
s m e l l i n g of u r i n e , s h e i s l i k e l y
to e n d u p a s o c i a l o u t c a s t .
There i s a s a y i n g i n Niger t h a t
"a w o m a n i n labor should not
see the s u n rise twice." A m i n a ,
a v i c t i m of neglect, delay, poverty, l a c k of m e d i c a l r e s o u r c e s
and poor c o m m u n i c a t i o n s ,
saw it rise far m o r e t h a n that.
Sadly, there are many more
girls i n A m i n a ' s s i t u a t i o n .
Mme. Maiga Amsou Amadou is the
president
of Niger
Committee
Against Traditional Birth Practices.
Source; Safe Motherhood 18: 11,
1995.