The urinary retention by women studied is common during the first three days after the operation because the girl tries to avoid the pain when the urine irritates the newly operated raw parts of the external genitals. Skin flaps or blood clots can also be the cause of the urinary retention. The local infection of the wound at the time of circumcision, later on at defibulation at the time of marriage and at delivery can cause difficult health problems for these circumcised women. Urinary problems were most common as late complications. Recurrent urinary infections with pain at micturition occur because the meatus of the urethra is covered by the infibulation resulting in a cumulation of vaginal discharge which is favorable environment for bacterial growth.
Micturition is also difficult as reported by the women.
Lesions inflicted on the girls at the time of circumcision with damage to the urethra or episodes of urethritis may cause urethral strictures resulting in poor urinary flow, and pain at micturition. These grow into a cyst which usually develops slowly but can reach considerable size. Three and half percent of the women studied, reported haematocolpos and were operated on. This particular ailment must be very common in Somalia, Sudan and other areas where infibulation is prevalent. Defibulation, of course, must be as common as circumcision in a community where infibulation is the major type of operation.