Female sexual outcomes in primiparous women after vaginal delivery and cesarean section.

Fatemeh Nasiri Amiri, Shabnam Omidvar, Afsaneh Bakhtiari, Mahmood Hajiahmadi

1. Departments of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, Faculty of Medicine, Babol University of Medical
Sciences, Babol, Iran
2. Departments of Biostatics and Epidemiology, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol

Abstract
Background:Sexual function is an essential component of life and yet very little is known about the relationships between the
female sexuality and the mode of delivery.

Objective: To compare sexual outcomes after vaginal delivery and cesarean section.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on women in two stages; early pregnancy and 3 to 6 months after delivery in  health centers. Female sexual outcomes evaluated were female Sexual Function Index scores and the time required to resume  sexual activities after delivery.

Results: Sexual function did not differ significantly among two groups vaginal delivery n=90 and cesarean section n = 113 with
regard to duration of marriage, educational level, contraception methods, and occupational status p = 0.8.The mean timing of
the resumption of sexual activity was 8.9 ± 1.3, and there was no substantial conflict between the two groups. Mean frequency of intercourse in the post-partum period was 1.8±1.2 times per week with significant difference compared to  pre pregnancy P<0.05. The individual domain scores after the delivery was significantly lower in comparison with pre-pregnancy  p<0.004.

Conclusion:No differences in sexual outcomes between vaginal delivery and cesarean section. Consequently cesarean section
cannot be recommended in the view of maintenance of normal sexuality after child birth.

Keywords: Women’s health, cesarean section, post-partum, vaginal delivery, female sexual function.