Attending to one’s own pleasure, as well as a partner’s, is helpful for women with vulvodynia

If you have vulvodynia and are focused on pleasing your partner completely at the expense of your own sexual needs, both of you may suffer. A survey of couples in the USA reports that being motivated to meet a partner’s sexual needs was associated with less pain and anxiety for women with vulvodynia, but when this motivation excluded a focus on their own sexual needs, both parties reported more depressive symptoms and women reported more vulval pain.

J Psychosom Res 2018;doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2018.01.006

Emergency caesarean section is linked to postpartum depression

Emergency caesarean section does not directly lead to postnatal depression, according to a Swedish longitudinal study following almost 4000 pregnancies. Emergency caesarean section and vacuum extraction were indirectly associated with increased risk of postpartum depression, by leading to complications, self-reported physical symptoms, and a negative delivery experience. A history of depression and fear of delivery increased the odds of postpartum depression and led more frequently to elective caesarean section, but was associated with a positive delivery experience.

Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2018;doi:10.1111/aogs.13275

Antibiotics may not interfere with hormonal contraception

The common tale that …