Karnataka - Hassan   

Custom pushes up hysterectomies in gollarahattis

Hassan: The custom of keeping women out of the limits of a village during the menstrual period, and outside their homes after the birth of the child seems to be leading to a high incidence of uterine infections, and in some cases to hysterectomy, in several hamlets of the backward Yadava-Golla community in Arsikere taluk in Hassan district. Shockingly, some among those who have undergone the surgery are in the age group of 25 to 30.

Health Department doctors in Hassan district point out that the women in the gollarahattis (as the hamlets are called) are prone to uterus infection as they are made to spend days in unhygienic conditions, all in the name of tradition.

Statistics maintained by the anganwadi workers of Kolagunda gollarahatti, Narasipur gollarahatti and Tirupatihalli gollarahatti show that the total population of women is roughly 300 in all. At least 100 of them, aged between 25 and 45, have undergone hysterectomy.

The custom in the gollarahattis is that women live outside the village by themselves during their menstrual period. They live outside their homes in a small makeshift shelter after childbirth for about two months, with no access to care and good diet.

These customs are followed so strictly that anganawadi centres in these hamlets are closed when the anganwadi worker is menstruating. “For two to three days, the centre is closed every month,” admitted Sanna Ningamma, anganwadi worker of Kolagunda gollarahatti.

Honnamma, a 25-year-old mother of two, has already undergone hysterectomy. She suffered from excessive bleeding during the menstrual period and had severe stomach pain. She said that she was relieved now because she is saved the trauma of spending days outside her place every month.

K.R. Gowramma, anganwadi worker of Narasipur gollarahatti, said that at least 50 women in the hamlet of around 110 women aged between 25 and 45 years had undergone the surgery.

The exact number of women who have undergone the surgery is not available with the Health Department as most of the women had surgery in Kadur in the neighbouring district of Chikmagalur, while others prefer private nursing homes.

The Health Department has been trying to convince the people give up this age-old custom without success. The officials said that women prefer any doctor who suggests surgery, even before working out other possibilities, to avoid the trauma of staying in a secluded shelter every month.

A woman of Narasipur gollarahatti, who did not want to be named, said that a few women in her village preferred the surgery only to avoid the trauma. “We have to follow the custom otherwise our deity would be unhappy. Many women have found this as a solution to relieve themselves from the trauma”, she said.

“Hysterectomy is the last option in case of any uterus-related problems. It seems only a few women in these villages had severe problems, which warranted the surgery. But the fact that a few women in twenties have decided to go for the surgery gives rise to suspicion that they wanted surgery to avoid trauma that the custom causes,” said Dr. H. L. Janardana, District Reproductive and Child Health Officer.

However, undergoing this surgery at a young age has led to several side effects. Dr. A. Savithri, gynaecologist at Malnad Nursing Home in Hassan, said hysterectomy is done only in rare cases, where uterus removal is inevitable.

If women aged between 25 and 30 years undergo this surgery, it will adversely affect their physical and mental health.

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Custom pushes up hysterectomies in gollarahattis

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