‘Completely life-changing’: eight in 10 women with birth injuries say wounds affect sex life

Over eight in ten women who suffered injuries while giving birth say their physical wounds have had repercussions on their sex life, according to a new report.

The study, carried out by the Birth Trauma Association UK, alongside campaign group, Make Birth Better, found almost one in five women with birth injuries say they were forced to wait at least six months to a year to get a diagnosis.

Researchers, who shared the findings with The Independent exclusively, discovered three quarters of all women polled said they received treatment for their injuries, but six out of ten of them warned this treatment has only been moderately effective. While around a quarter explained they still have an issue with their injuries.

Kim Thomas, of Birth Trauma Association, told The Independent the struggle to get treatment is “extremely concerning” as she warned it is “symptomatic of the way that birth injuries, and women’s health problems, in general, are not taken as seriously as they should be.”

Campaigners warned birth injuries are common in the UK but remain shrouded by stigma and taboo. Nine in ten of those who give birth vaginally in Britain will experience some type of perineal tear, graze or episiotomy, according to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. While a third- or fourth-degree tear takes place in around three in 100 women having a vaginal birth.

The new exclusive research, which the Australasian Birth Trauma Association were also involved in, discovered childbirth injuries have far-reaching repercussions on women’s day-to-day lives and mental health.

Lucy*, who lives in the UK, said: “15 years later, I still feel treatment hasn’t been effective and I still have a problem. My injury has been completely life-changing and has meant living with incontinence, severe pain and having to manually empty bowels.”

She also said her sex life never managed to return ‘to “normal’ due to vaginal laxity, scarring and pain”.

Researchers polled 801 respondents with birth injuries, with the participants predominantly coming from the UK and Australia, but a small handful coming from New Zealand and other countries.

The study found almost three quarters of those polled said their birth injury has altered their capacity to do exercise, while over eight in ten of all surveyed said their wound has affected their confidence around body image, as well as their self-esteem more broadly.

Over six ten women said their birthing injury has had consequences on their relationship with their partner - with almost three quarters explaining the injuries obtained during labour have had an effect on whether or not they choose to have another child.

Almost nine out of ten said their birthing wounds had repercussions on their mental health, with the most common issues being postnatal depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Almost half of people suffer vagina or vulva pain, while the same proportion endure painful sex. Nearly half of all polled experienced urinary incontinence and nearly one in five suffers faecal incontinence.

Evelien Docherty, of Make Birth Better, warned of women’s “heartbreaking” stories which “very clearly illustrate the stigma and the pain that birth injuries cause, and the disruption of daily life, mental and physical wellbeing, relationships and intimacy.

She added: “With the incredible stigma clinging to it, you are left wondering how many are suffering in silence.

“Our results show a huge issue around delayed diagnosis and inadequate treatment. We feel this illustrates just how much women’s health problems around birth are neglected.

“We know from a number of the responses that their injury added to their relationship breakdown. Of course, that is incredibly sad.”

Ms Docherty noted given the government is expected to launch the Women’s Health Strategy next week, the report’s findings must not be ignored.

She called for all of those “healthcare providers involved in perinatal health” to be “better trained in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of birth injuries and actively listen to women and birthing people raising concerns.”

The report also recommends all healthcare providers should “offer routine checks shortly after birth” to discern whether the childbirth has caused any injuries.

“The societal narrative tends to focus on birth being a joyous event,” Ms Docherty added. “The day your baby is born is often called ‘one of the happiest days of your life’. It doesn’t really click in our brains that having a baby can be hard, or even traumatising. We link trauma to things like war, disaster or abuse.”