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Aim: This article is a report of a study of the extent of postpartum sexual dysfunction associated with perineal trauma., Background: Sexual health problems are common in the postpartum period but despite this it is a topic that lacks professional recognition. After delivery, many women experience reduced sexual desire and reduced vaginal lubrication, as well as weaker and shorter orgasms., Methods: Women giving birth in the study hospital between 2005 and 2006 and meeting the inclusion criteria were studied, i.e. women at low-risk who expected vaginal delivery at over 38 weeks' gestation with a single foetus in the vertex position. One hundred and sixty-five women were invited for postpartum check-ups 3 months later and 55 attended. A detailed gynaecologic examination was carried out and the perineum was carefully inspected by the same physician. Questionnaires were administered and 20-minute face-to-face interviews were carried out to compare the women's sexual lives before pregnancy and after giving birth., Findings: Compared to women with intact perineum, those who had both episiotomy and second degree perineal tears, had lower levels of libido, orgasm, and sexual satisfaction and more pain during intercourse. The presence of at least one sexual problem (reduced sexual desire, reduced vaginal arousal, reduced vaginal lubrication, reduced frequency of orgasm, dissatisfaction with sexual life and dyspareunia) was statistically significant more common after birth., Conclusion: Limiting perineal trauma during delivery is important for the resumption of sexual intercourse after childbirth. Routine episiotomy and fundal pressure should be avoided to prevent perineal trauma., (© 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)

Introduction: Sexual functioning is a common and multidimensional problem, associated with multiple biological, medical, psychological, sociocultural, political, economic, and interpersonal factors., Aim: The study was planned to determine the prevalence and risk factors for low sexual function in women in an outpatient clinic of a university hospital in Istanbul., Methods: Totally, 1,009 women over 20 years of age or their healthy female companions were interviewed in the outpatient clinics of the Department of Internal Medicine in a university hospital in Istanbul., Main Outcome Measures: Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) was used to evaluate sexual function., Results: The mean age of women was 38.62 +/- 12.82 and 22.2% of women were postmenopausal. The mean FSFI score was found to be 24.25 +/- 9.50 out of a maximum total score of 36. Based on the total FSFI score, 43.4% of the women had scores less then 26. The mean domain scores were: desire 3.14 +/- 1.47, arousal 3.60 +/- 1.85, lubrication 4.53 +/- 2.01, orgasm 4.02 +/- 1.97, satisfaction 4.27 +/- 1.64, and pain 4.69 +/- 1.96 out of a maximum domain score of six. The rate of low sexual function by the age groups were 22% for those 20-29 years, 39.7% for those 30-39 years, 50.2% for those 40-49 years, 71.3% for those 50-59 years, 82.9% for those 60-64 years, and 87.8% for those 65 and over. Lower educational level, menopause, depression, presence of sexual dysfunction in their partner, and contraceptive use were found to be significantly associated with low sexual function in women., Conclusions: The prevalence of low sexual function in women was found to significantly increase with age. The most significantly affected domains were desire and arousal followed by orgasmic problems, satisfaction, and pain, respectively.