Birth Control Vote by LoBiondo Cast Shadow in Africa

I am extremely disappointed by 2nd District Republican Rep. Frank LoBiondo's recent vote to remove birth control from United States-funded services for coping with "obstetrical fistula'' in poor countries, mostly in Africa.Obstetrical fistula occurs when, in the process of giving birth, often by themselves without medical help, very young women have an obstructed labor. The baby, who often dies in childbirth or is stillborn, tears a hole in the bladder and/or rectum of the mother, thus causing the mother to become permanently incontinent. When this happens, the husband almost always abandons his wife, who returns to her family, often to be rejected again. These women have lives of unspeakable misery.This condition is due to young girls in countries like Ethiopia and Kenya being married at age 10 and giving birth at a very early age. Obviously, having access to birth-control information would be an important tool in helping poor young women in Africa not become pregnant at 10 or 11 years of age, thus avoiding the fistula condition.By opposing the distribution of birth-control information to these women, LoBiondo is condemning many of them to a life of unspeakable misery. After all, until we change the living conditions of poor people around the world, we haven't a chance of winning the "war on terror.'' Saving poor African women from a lifetime of misery and rejection would be one small step in that direction.

KAREN COHEN

Linwood

Letter printed in AC Press, August 12, 2005

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/columns/081205LETTSFRIAUG12.cfm