Objective: To investigate the timing of resumption of vaginal sex and assess associations with method of birth, perineal trauma and other obstetric and social factors.
Design: Prospective pregnancy cohort study of nulliparous women.
Setting: Melbourne, Australia.
Sample: A total of 1507 nulliparous women recruited in early pregnancy (≤24 weeks).
Method: Women were recruited from six public hospitals. Data from hospital records and self-administered questionnaires at recruitment and 3, 6 and 12 months postpartum were analysed using univariable and multivariable logistic regression.
Main outcome measure: Resumption of vaginal sex.
Results: Sexual activity was resumed earlier than vaginal sex, with 53% resuming sexual activity by 6 weeks postpartum, and 41% attempting vaginal sex. By 8 weeks a majority of women had attempted vaginal sex (65%), increasing to 78% by 12 weeks, and 94% by 6 months. Compared with women who had a spontaneous vaginal birth with an intact perineum, women who had a spontaneous vaginal birth with an episiotomy (adjusted odds ratio 3.43, 95% confidence interval 1.9-6.2) or sutured perineal tear (adjusted odds ratio 3.18, 95% confidence interval 2.1-4.9) were more likely not to have resumed vaginal sex by 6 weeks postpartum. Similarly, women who had an assisted vaginal birth or caesarean section had raised odds of delaying resumption of sex.
Conclusions: Most women having a first birth do not resume vaginal sex until later than 6 weeks postpartum. Women who have an operative vaginal birth, caesarean section or perineal tear or episiotomy appear to delay longer.
© 2013 The Authors BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology © 2013 RCOG.