Abstract
Objective: To investigate the impact of childbirth on the sexual health of primiparous women and identify factors associated with dyspareunia.
Design: Cross-sectional study using obstetric records, and postal survey six months after delivery.
Setting: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St. George's Hospital, London.
Population: All primiparous women (n = 796) delivered of a live birth in a six month period.
Methods: Quantitative analysis of obstetric survey data.
Main outcome measures: Self reported sexual behaviour and sexual problems (e.g. vaginal dryness, painful penetration, pain during sexual intercourse, pain on orgasm, vaginal tightness, vaginal looseness, bleeeding/irritation after sex, and loss of sexual desire), consultation for postnatal sexual problems.
Results: Of the 484 respondents (61% response rate), 89% had resumed sexual activity within six months of the birth. Sexual morbidity increased significantly after the birth: in the first three months after delivery 83% of women experienced sexual problems, declining to 64% at six months, although not reaching pre-pregnancy levels of 38%. Dyspareunia in the first three months after pregnancy was, after adjustment, significantly associated with vaginal deliveries (P = 0.01) and previous experience of dyspareunia (P = 0.03). At six months the association with type of delivery was not significant (P = 0.4); only experience of dyspareunia before pregnancy (P < 0.0001) and current breastfeeding were significant (P = 0.0006). Only 15% of women who had a postnatal sexual problem reported discussing it with a health professional.
Conclusions: Sexual health problems were very common after childbirth, suggesting potentially high levels of unmet need.
Design: Cross-sectional study using obstetric records, and postal survey six months after delivery.
Setting: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St. George's Hospital, London.
Population: All primiparous women (n = 796) delivered of a live birth in a six month period.
Methods: Quantitative analysis of obstetric survey data.
Main outcome measures: Self reported sexual behaviour and sexual problems (e.g. vaginal dryness, painful penetration, pain during sexual intercourse, pain on orgasm, vaginal tightness, vaginal looseness, bleeeding/irritation after sex, and loss of sexual desire), consultation for postnatal sexual problems.
Results: Of the 484 respondents (61% response rate), 89% had resumed sexual activity within six months of the birth. Sexual morbidity increased significantly after the birth: in the first three months after delivery 83% of women experienced sexual problems, declining to 64% at six months, although not reaching pre-pregnancy levels of 38%. Dyspareunia in the first three months after pregnancy was, after adjustment, significantly associated with vaginal deliveries (P = 0.01) and previous experience of dyspareunia (P = 0.03). At six months the association with type of delivery was not significant (P = 0.4); only experience of dyspareunia before pregnancy (P < 0.0001) and current breastfeeding were significant (P = 0.0006). Only 15% of women who had a postnatal sexual problem reported discussing it with a health professional.
Conclusions: Sexual health problems were very common after childbirth, suggesting potentially high levels of unmet need.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | N/A |
| Pages (from-to) | 186-195 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology |
| Volume | 107 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Feb 2000 |
Keywords
- PERINEAL MANAGEMENT TRIAL
- 1ST POSTNATAL YEAR
- FECAL INCONTINENCE
- VAGINAL DELIVERY
- PELVIC FLOOR
- PREVALENCE
- PARITY
- DEPRESSION
- EPISIOTOMY
- PREGNANCY
