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Congenital vaginal septum is a rare form of genital tract anomaly. It presents with dyspareunia, dysmenorrhoea or primary amenorrhoea associated with hematometra and hematocolpos. Others may be asymptomatic, with the anomaly being found during routine pelvic examination. This case study presents two patients with congenital vaginal septae, who developed traumatic recto-vaginal fistulae. The first patient had two incomplete longitudinal vaginal septae, incidentally discovered during repair of a recto-vaginal fistula that had developed following sexual assault. The second patient developed a recto-vaginal fistula following repair of a transverse vaginal septum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender-based violence is any violence that exploits distinctions between individuals of different sexes. Sexual violence in the form of rape or mass rape is traumatic for the victim but can have significant physical consequences, such as traumatic fistula which can render the victim incontinent of urine and/or faeces. The physical consequences are compounded by psychological trauma and stigma. This article presents a case study of a 16-year-old girl affected by traumatic fistula. It explains the implications of such a condition and provides a brief explanation of surgery, giving health professionals a greater understanding of the context and surgical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]