A Decade of Coital Laceration Managed at A Tertiary Health Facility in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Abstract

Background: Coital lacerations could either be associated with normal or forced sexual intercourse and may perhaps resolves with minimal treatment or could be deeper and more extensive resulting in significant vaginal bleeding. This study evaluated the clinical features, risk factors, treatment, and outcome of coital laceration in Ibadan, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of cases of coital laceration managed at the gynecology emergency unit of the University College Hospital, Ibadan over a ten year period. Information on risk factor, injury characteristics, examination findings, treatment and outcome were retrieved with a proforma. Analysis was done using SPSS version 20.0. Results: Twenty-two cases were analyzed. Their mean age was 25.2 years and over a third (36.4%) sustained the injury at sexual debut but majority (63.6%) of them had consensual sex. All, the patients presented with bleeding per vaginam with majority of the lesion at the posterior fornix (68.5%) and lateral vaginal wall (9.1%)  while 22.7% of them had multiple vaginal lacerations. Almost all (92.3%) the patients had suturing of the laceration and 72.7% were admitted in the hospital. Conclusions: Coital lacerations following consensual sex is more common in nulliparous women with no previous sexual experience. Simple suturing is the commonest treatment modalities.