ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2018
Prevalence of and risk factors associated with sexual health issues in primiparous women at 6 and 12 months postpartum; a longitudinal prospective cohort study (the MAMMI study).
Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 58 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
58 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 124 citations in OpenAlex.
- Sexual function in breastfeeding women: a systematic review.BMC women's health · 2026Pooled it
- Pregorexia: a systematic review and meta-analysis on the constructs of body image dissatisfaction and eating disturbances by gestational age in the peripartum.Eating and weight disorders : EWD · 2023Pooled it
- Economic burden of maternal morbidity - A systematic review of cost-of-illness studies.PloS one · 2020Pooled it
- Incidence of perineal pain and dyspareunia following spontaneous vaginal birth: a systematic review and meta-analysis.International urogynecology journal · 2019Pooled it
- Midwife-led psychosocial counseling with family support on postpartum depression and maternal functioning: a randomized controlled trial.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Trial
- Low sexual desire in postpartum women: associations with psychosocial factors and sexual function.Sexual medicine · 2026Article
- Being a Partner or a Mother: Breastfeeding Mothers' Perceptions and Experiences of Breast Milk and Sexuality in the Postpartum Period.Archives of sexual behavior · 2026Article
- Female Sexual Dysfunction Across the Female Lifespan: The Impact of Menopause, Pelvic Floor Disorders, and Pelvic Surgery.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Sexual health after childbirth: a qualitative study of women's experiences.Reproductive health · 2026Article
- Postpartum Sexual Function in Women with Intrapartum Pelvic Floor Muscle Trauma.International urogynecology journal · 2026Article
- IUGA International Guidelines on Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injuries.International urogynecology journal · 2026Article
- Depressive symptoms hopelessness self-efficacy and COVID-19-related stressors among pregnant women in Hungary across two pandemic waves.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Article
- Chronic Maternal Pelvic Morbidity: A Neglected Tragedy: Where is Pelvic Maternal Morbidity in Maternal and Child Health? : Advocating for a Public Health Approach to Pelvic Floor Disorders Resulting from Pregnancy and Childbirth Trauma.International urogynecology journal · 2026Article
- Sexual Function After Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injuries (OASIs): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International urogynecology journal · 2026Review
- Health Professionals' Attitudes to Maternal Request for Caesarean Birth: A Scoping Review.Birth (Berkeley, Calif.) · 2026Article
- Health care across the first year postpartum and experiences of women with anxiety/depressive symptoms: A longitudinal cohort of first-time mothers in Ireland (MAMMI).Archives of women's mental health · 2026Article
- Risk-Stratified Screening for Perinatal Depression and Anxiety: Integrating Sexual Function, Self-Esteem, and Psychosocial Context.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Postpartum sexual dysfunction in resource-limited settings: a cross-sectional study of maternal sexual health.BMJ public health · 2026Article
- Determinants of Postpartum Sexual Dysfunction in the First Year: A Systematic Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundMany women are not prepared for changes to their sexual health after childbirth. The aim of this paper is to report on the prevalence of and the potential risk factors (pre-pregnancy dyspareunia, mode of birth, perineal trauma and breastfeeding) for sexual health issues (dyspareunia, lack of vaginal lubrication and a loss of interest in sexual activity) at 6 and 12 months postpartum.
methodsA longitudinal cohort study of 832 first-time mothers who were recruited in early pregnancy and returned postnatal surveys at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months postpartum were assessed for sexual health issues and associated risk factors.
resultsNearly half of the women (46.3%) reported a lack of interest in sexual activity, 43% experienced a lack of vaginal lubrication and 37.5% of included women had dyspareunia 6 months after birth. On univariate analysis, vacuum-assisted birth, 2nd degree perineal tears, 3rd degree perineal tears and episiotomy were all associated with dyspareunia 6 months postpartum, but, of these only 3rd degree tears, in association with breastfeeding and pre-existing dyspareunia, remained significant on multivariable analysis. Breastfeeding, in combination, with other significant factors, was associated with dyspareunia, a lack of vaginal lubrication and a loss of interest in sexual activity 6 months postpartum, and, dissatisfaction with body image emerged as a significant factor associated with lack of interest in sexual activity at 12 months postpartum. Pre-pregnancy dyspareunia and breastfeeding emerged as common factors associated with all three outcomes of dyspareunia, a lack of vaginal lubrication and a loss of interest in sexual activity at 6 months postpartum.
conclusionBreastfeeding and pre-existing dyspareunia are associated with sexual health issues at 6 months postpartum. Pre-existing dyspareunia is associated with a lack of vaginal lubrication at 12 months postpartum and breastfeeding is associated with dissatisfaction with body image. Preparing women and their partners during the antenatal period and advising on simple measures, such as use of lubrication to avoid or minimise sexual health issues, could potentially remove stress, anxiety and fears regarding intimacy after birth. Introducing the topic of pre-existing sexual health issues antenatally may facilitate appropriate support, treatment or counselling for women.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.