The parity ranged from zero to 13 with mean and standard deviation of (4.4±1.7).

Fifty five (46.6%) were from the Tamale metropolis and only 12 (10.5%) had all their deliveries in hospital. The commonest complication was decubitus ulcer present in 20 (16.9%) patients, 16(80%) of it in patients with procedentia. Conclusion Pelvic organ prolapse is not a rare gynaecological condition at the Tamale Teaching Hospital. The patients are relatively young and are from various districts in the northern region. Some occupational, see more socio-cultural practices and reproductive characteristics may be contributory to severity of pelvic organ prolapse. Keywords: Pelvic organ prolapse, uterine prolapse, Tamale Teaching Hospital, Social demographic characteristics Introduction Pelvic organ prolapse is an anatomic support defect of the pelvic viscera. selleck screening library It may result from a series of long term failure of the supporting and suspension mechanisms of the uterus and vaginal wall.1 The defect in the support structures results in downward

displacement of structures that are normally located adjacent to the vaginal vault.2 Damage to the support structures begins in first vaginal delivery2, subsequent deliveries will contribute to prolapse due to the force of labour, maternal bearing down efforts, fundal pressure application and traction by attendants, both skilled and unskilled causing damage to pelvic floor and its support structures.2 Prolonged labour at home before going to a health facility or conduct of labour by unskilled attendants causes significant damage to the pelvic support system. Outside the reproductive years, advancing age and resultant weakness in pelvic floor muscles occurs during the menopause and can lead to pelvic organ prolapse.2, 3 This is as a result of atrophy of pelvic tissues due to hypo estrogenic state. Some progress has been made in recent years to improve patronage of skilled delivery services and contraceptive services to reduce tuclazepam morbidity and mortality

associated with child birth in Ghana however many women in the northern region of Ghana deliver not within health facilities and are yet to accept fertility control. Only 27.2% of pregnant women in the northern region had supervised delivery by skilled provider while majority of the delivery; 55.5% of women were delivered by a TBA and about 17% were delivered by a relative or no one in the region.4 All these unskilled delivery have resultant adverse effect on pelvic floor anatomy. In areas of high parity with little or no access to health care, countless number of women suffers from problems associated with pelvic organ prolapse with no real possibility of resolution2; this is the situation in Northern Ghana. Damage caused by childbirth and increasing parity, big baby, premature bearing down in labour and operative vaginal delivery with other factors such as aging and menopause, work together over time and predispose women to pelvic organ prolapse.