veNTIlATIoN - Green Cross Publishing

in practice
26
Post natal
sexual
health
KATE MCCABE, PSyCHOSExUAL THERAPIST
A study in the Journal of Clinical Nursing 1 showed that postnatal
sexual problems can persist for lengthy periods and affect a
surprisingly large number of women. The report suggests that
nearly one-in-three women still experience painful intercourse
a year after their baby is born and more than half have at least
one sex-related health problem.
Some 482 women who had attended maternity units
in Birmingham, UK, took part in a self-administered
questionnaire at least one year after their most recent
birth. “Eighty seven per cent complained of at least
one health problem,” said midwife Amanda Williams.
“Asian women, who made up 15 per cent of the survey, were
more likely to complain of health problems than white women,
as were white women who were older and had larger babies
and longer labours.” She identified the three most common
problems:
• Sex-related health issues (55%).
• Stress urinary incontinence (54%).
• Urge urinary incontinence (37%).
Painful intercourse
Painful intercourse was reported by 19 per cent of women who
had caesareans, 34 per cent who had had a normal birth and 36
per cent of women who had an instrument-assisted birth, such
as forceps.
Sex-related problems were highest among instrument-
assisted births (77 per cent) and lowest among caesarean births
(51 per cent), with 64 per cent of women having had normal
births reporting at least one problem related to sex.
Women who had an instrument-assisted delivery also took
two weeks longer than women who had had caesareans and
normal births to resume sexual intercourse (ten weeks versus
eight) with figures ranging from one week to 52.
Problems with forceps delivery
Forceps deliveries were also associated with higher levels of
stress, urge, and continual incontinence.
Having an epidural did not lead to an overall increase in
health problems and this study did not support previous
research that identified increased stress incontinence and
frequent urinating as risk factors.
Asian women reported greater health problems than white
women. Perineal pain was more than two times higher (62 per
cent versus 28 per cent) and they experienced much higher
levels of continual urinary incontinence (35 per cent versus 20
per cent). However, Afro-Caribbean women displayed similar