Sex, and how long the pain lasts
Real numbers, at twelve months.
In a prospective study of 554 first-time mothers followed for a year and grouped by how badly they tore:
| Tear at birth | Painful sex at 12 months |
|---|---|
| None, labial, or first degree | 25% |
| Second degree | 38% |
| Third or fourth degree | 53% |
Perineal pain itself resolves for most women. In a prospective study in a low-episiotomy setting, at discharge about 40% had mild pain and 36% described it as discomforting. By three months, 90.3% reported no perineal pain at all and 93.4% were using no pain medicine, with no significant difference remaining between women who had major and minor trauma.
If it is still painfulPain with sex at six months is common enough to be unremarkable and treatable enough to be worth raising. Physical therapy for the pelvic floor, scar treatment and topical options all exist. Being told to give it time, at a year, is not adequate.
Where this comes from:
217. Gommesen D, Nøhr EA, Qvist N, Rasch V. Obstetric perineal tears, sexual function and dyspareunia among primiparous women 12 months postpartum: a prospective cohort study. BMJ Open. 2019;9(12):e032368.
218. Leeman L, Fullilove AM, Borders N, Manocchio R, Albers LL, Rogers RG. Postpartum perineal pain in a low episiotomy setting: association with severity of genital trauma, labor care and birth variables. Birth. 2009;36(4):283-288.
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This page is educational. It supports the conversation with your own clinicians. It is not consent to any treatment, and it cannot assess you. If you are worried about a symptom now, see urgent warning signs.