Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

Caesarean sections (CS) are on the rise in Canada and around the world. There is a wide-held belief among members of the general public that having a CS is better than a vaginal birth (VB) in protecting against postpartum sexual problems; however, recent studies show that this assumption is not necessarily true. There is little research on sexual function after CS. What exists is based on self-report measures asking women (and/or their partners) about their sexual function. Relying solely on self-report measures of sexual function is problematic as it only captures a small portion of a significant process involving biological, psychological, and social factors. The current study will measure women's sexual function using tools to measure genital blood flow and genital sensitivity, in addition to validated self-report measures. We will recruit women who have given birth in the last two months for a 4-part study: 1) a standardized gynecological examination; 2) an interview/questionnaire session during which questions about their health and sexual function will be posed; 3) a genital blood flow session to examine vascular function; and 4) a sensory testing session to investigate sensitivity to pressure on different areas of their genitals. We will also recruit women who have not given birth before as a control group. All women will return 6 months later to repeat the study procedures. The goal of this study is to compare women who underwent a VB or CS on several aspects of function at 2 and 8 months, and to understand what happens within groups over time. Ultimately, the results from study could be used to produce new educational material available to the public with the intention of reducing fearful attitudes about the impact of VB on postpartum sexual function.