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Cesarean Section and Postnatal Sexual Health
Author(s) -
Barrett Geraldine,
Peacock Janet,
Victor Christina R.,
Manyonda Isaac
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
birth
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.233
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1523-536X
pISSN - 0730-7659
DOI - 10.1111/j.0730-7659.2005.00388.x
Subject(s) - childbirth , sexual function , medicine , obstetrics , reproductive health , vaginal delivery , pregnancy , gynecology , population , genetics , environmental health , biology
Background:Cesarean delivery avoids perineal trauma and has therefore often been assumed to protect sexual function after childbirth. We sought to examine this assumption by using data from a study of women's sexual health after childbirth to assess whether women who underwent cesarean section experienced better sexual health in the postnatal period than women with vaginal births . Methods: A cross‐sectional study was conducted of 796 primiparous women, employing data from obstetric records and a postal survey 6 months after delivery . Results: Any protective effect of cesarean section on sexual function was limited to the early postnatal period (0–3 months), primarily to dyspareunia‐related symptoms. At 6 months the differences in dyspareunia‐related symptoms, sexual response‐related symptoms, and postcoital problems were much reduced or reversed, and none reached statistical significance . Conclusions: Outcomes from this study provide no basis for advocating cesarean section as a way to protect women's sexual function after childbirth. (BIRTH 32:4 December 2005)