As a midwife in Eugene, Ore., Bonnie Ruder has overseen more than 150 successful homebirths. When she leaves for Uganda with her family in November, she will be investigating circumstances when things don’t go so well.
At Oregon State University, Ruder is pursuing master’s degrees in medical anthropology and in global public health. In Uganda she will combine these disciplines by studying cultural attitudes toward obstetric fistulas, a medical condition that affects 2 to 3 million women worldwide, mostly in developing countries. Fistulas result in incontinence and devastating social isolation for women if left untreated.
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Master’s student aims to solve devastating maternal health problem in Uganda
Terra Research Magazine, October 4, 2011