Gynaecological Morbidity among Women in a Bombay Slum

Abstract

There is a growing recognition that gynaecological morbidity is an important health problem among poor women in India. Yet, information on the levels and patterns of gynaecological problems experienced by women in India is sparse. There are few community-based studies; since a large proportion of women suffer morbidity silently, and are reluctant to seek care or to visit clinics and hospitals, it is difficult to assess the true magnitude of the problem or the patterns of morbidity from which women suffer. Yet the small amount of data available suggests startlingly high levels of morbidity, for which treatment is rarely sought. One of the very few community-based studies conducted in a rural area of Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district reports that of 650 women aged 13 and above, 55% reported gynaecological complaints, but as many as 92% were reported on clinical examination to have one or more gynaecological or sexually transmitted diseases.