277 Evaluation of the Sexual Desire Disorders in the Post-Partum Period

ABSTRACT Introduction A woman's sexuality changes throughout her life and varies according to endogenous and exogenous factors. In this perspective, pregnancy and childbirth create a state of sexual desire dysfunction. Eastern culture has always dissociated parents from their intimate life, making the resumption of postpartum sexuality more taboo. Objectives To study women's sexual desire disorders after childbirth in order to identify factors that influence it. Methods Prospective, cross-sectional study over 200 women followed from the third trimester of the pregnancy until the 6th month postpartum. The evaluation of sexual desire was based on the parameters of the FSFI score (Female Sexual Function Index) in Arabic version. Results The average age of the women in our study was 31 years with extremes ranging from 15 to 45 years. The mean parity was 2.4 with extremes ranging from 1 to 4. 94% of our patients were married. 56% of the study population delivered vaginally, of whom 6% required instrumental extraction.20% had a scheduled cesarean section, and 24% had an emergency cesarean section during labor. Over the half the population (56%) did not use any contraception after delivery. 32% opted for the combined pill, while 10% used condoms and 2% had a tubal ligation during cesarean delivery.46% of women breastfed their childs. A decrease in sexual desire has been reported in the postpartum period. At the FSFI, the mean score of the sexual desire before childbirth was 3,33. A minimum sexual desire score of 1,2 was noted in 12% of the women, and 4% of the women had a maximum sexual desire score of 6.After childbirth, the mean score was 3.25. with a minimum of 1,2 noted in 8% of women, and a maximum of 6 found in 4% of women. Regarding the frequency of sexual desire,46% of women reported having sexual desire less than half the time (38%) or almost never (8%). During pregnancy, this rate was 38%.The qualitative evaluation of sexual desire found that 46% of women reported a feeling of decreased sexual desire, whereas this disorder affected 40% of the population before delivery. On the other hand, 26% of women reported a high sexual desire. The occurrence of sexual desire and its intensity were correlated with the following parameters: marital status, breastfeeding, route of delivery and the presence of perineal lesions. Conclusion The postpartum period is accompanied by physical and psychological changes that affect female sexual function. A medical approach to the evaluation of sexual desire disorders must be lead in order to identify their cause's and treat them. Disclosure Work supported by industry: no.