The Prevalence of Pre-Pregnancy and Postpartum Dyspareunia in Women Giving Birth for the First Time and Related Factors

Objective: the study aimed to investigate the prevalence of dyspareunia in the pre-pregnancy and postpartum periods, and related factors, in women giving birth for the first time. method: this cross-sectional study was carried out between march 2007 and february 2009. the sample included 391 women recruited using the convenience sample method, were giving birth for the first time. total two times interviews were conducted with women in the first day and approximately one year after birth. study data were collected using a questionnaire. the questionnaire was completed based on face-to-face interviews on the first day postpartum and subsequent telephone interviews at an average of 11.6±3.8 months postpartum. results: of the women 34.8% reported experiencing dyspareunia before conception; 38.9%, during pregnancy; and 28.9%, in the postpartum period. logistic regression analysis results showed that the likelihood of experiencing dyspareunia prior to conception showed a statistically significant increase in women who had no education (odds ratio and who perceived their income level as “low”. it was further established that being a homemaker, low perceived income and a history of dyspareunia before pregnancy increased the probability of the incidence of dyspareunia in the postpartum period. conclusion: this study reached the conclusion that the frequency of dyspareunia during the prepregnancy and postpartum periods is considerably high and that a pre-pregnancy history of dyspareunia represents an important risk factor for postpartum dyspareunia.