Unveiling the silent suffering: Examining the complexities of disclosure and concealment strategies in women living with obstetric fistula

Abstract

Obstetric Fistula (OF), one of the tragic birth injuries in developing countries, overwhelms women living with this condition with multifaceted effects. Although concealing has been justified in some studies, revealing is also encouraged. Such uncertainty leaves women in a loop of tension in managing the disclosure or non-disclosure of their diagnosis. They resort to several strategies to manage their private information. Using Communication Privacy Management (CPM) Theory, this study documents the disclosure or non-disclosure strategies that women living with OF adopt to manage their diagnosis information. Data was derived from semi-structured interviews conducted with 19 women either living with OF presently or have lived with it before. The thematic analysis yielded categories of who, when, what, and how. These categories were further subdivided into nine specific practices or strategies for revealing. However, the categories under the non-disclosure focused on only who and how, where four themes emerged. This study has both practical and theoretical significance by identifying disclosure and non-disclosure intervention strategies useful for providing relief for women diagnosed with OF.

Keywords

• Communication privacy management (CPM)
• Disclosure/non-disclosure
• Ghana/Africa
• Obstetric fistula
• Strategies