Lifestyle such as heavy weight lifting as a result of trading, farming, carrying firewood, water or even the many babies delivered and chronic cough due to tuberculosis, bronchitis or asthma. Other diseases include chronic constipation, ascites, intra-abdominal masses. Any condition that increases pressure in the abdomen and affect the physical load on the

ON-01910 in vivo pelvic floor or integrity of the muscular and connective tissues of the pelvis increases the likelihood that symptomatic prolapsed will develop.5 A study of pelvic organ prolapse done in a rural community in southern Ghana shows a prevalence rate of 12.07%6 however the exact burden of pelvic organ prolapses across

the entire country is unknown. The prevalence of pelvic organ prolapse in northern and southern parts of Ghana particularly the urban areas are not expected to be same because of differences in occupational, socio-cultural factors, CDK inhibitor access and use of health facilities between the two parts of the country.4 Pelvic organ prolapse negatively affects socioeconomic and reproductive activity of affected women; it is therefore of interest to study the condition and the affected women from all over the northern region presenting to the Tamale Teaching hospital. The main objective of this study was to determine the prevalence, social demographic characteristics and types of pelvic organ prolapse seen at the Tamale Teaching hospital during the two year study period. Some recommendations could be made which may positively modify behavior and practice.

Subjects only and Methods This is a descriptive study of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) at the Tamale Teaching Hospital in the Northern Region of Ghana from 1st January 2010 to 31st December 2011. The needed data were collected using a form designed to capture the social demographic characteristics, reproductive history and pelvic examination findings of patients with pelvic organ prolapse seen at the Obstetrics and Gynaecology department of the Hospital during the study period. After explaining the objective of the study, the questionnaires were translated to the patients mainly in a local language to their understanding. Members of the research team made up of doctors and nurses daily during clinic visits and at the time of admission to the gynaecology ward administered the questionnaires. Difficulties with retrieval of folders for retrospective studies and incomplete data entries in the manual system of keeping information on patients were not encountered. Confirmation and reconciliation of some of the data were done using records from the Gynaecology clinic, the major surgical log book in the operating theatre and the wards.