Sexual function and vaginal surgery

•  Female sexual function is increasingly used as an outcome measure of the success of vaginal surgery. •  Most women without coital incontinence will have no change in sexual function following anti‐incontinence surgery, although overall there may be a slight improvement. •  If coital incontinence is cured by surgery, the woman is very likely to report an improvement in sexual function. •  The majority of studies of pelvic organ prolapse repair show no change in subsequent sexual function. •  Worsening of sexual function is most likely to follow posterior repair.Learning objectives:•  To understand how female sexual function can be assessed. •  To understand how surgery for incontinence and/or prolapse is likely to affect sexual function. •  To be willing and better able to discuss sexual function with women before surgery.Ethical issue:•  As surgery can adversely affect sexual function, is it unethical to fail to discuss this sensitive area preoperatively?Please cite this article as: Neill C, Abdel‐Fattah M, Ramsay IN. Sexual function and vaginal surgery. The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist 2009;11:193–198.