الفهرس 
AcknowledgementOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Genital prolapse is a common health problem, occurring when the vagina and uterus descend below their normal position. As women live lot:lger, physicians will need to care for women with prolapse. Although genital prolapse is not life threatening, it can have a devastating impact on the health and quality of life of women. Multiple factors are associated with an increased risk of genital prolapse. Trauma of the pelvic musculature secondary to vaginal delivery plays a major role in occurrence of prolapse. The strong association between parity and risk of prolapse suggests that obstetric factors may provide important clues as to how obstetric care might reduce the risk of prolapse in later life. On the other hand, the women themselves may not see the condition as serious threats to their health and as a result, they do not seek medic~!.~are. Consequently, understanding women’s perceptions and beliefs may illuminate our understanding of their health seeking behavior which form a fIrSt step in any effort to improve their health. The present study was designed to investigate the prevalence, perception and possible risk factors associated with genital prolapse among women attending the outpatient clinic in EI-Shatby Maternity University Hospital in Alexandria. Data was collected from a sample of 400 women (being nonpregnant, age 25 years and over), randomly selected from the outpatient clinic. The following methods and tools were used for collection of data: 1. A structured interview Questionnaire was desianed to collect the following data: a- Socio-demographic data b- Reproductive history c- Medical and surgical history d- Presenting complaints e- Symptoms related to genital prolapse, reported on inquiry. f. Consequences of genital prolapse. g- Women’s knowledge about risk factors for genital prolapse h. Women’s beliefs related to genital prolapse as well as their beliefs about assistance at delivery (beliefs were assessed through the Health Belief Model). 2-Clinical examination including: a-Chest and abdominal examination b-Pelvic examination 3-Anthropometric measurements Including measuring weight and height and estimation of body mass index (BMI). The results obtained are summarized as follows: Characteristics of the sample and prevalence of genital prolapse: *The mean age of the studied women was 36.67:1::: 9.23 years, the majority of them were married (94.5) and housewives (89.70/0).