-
BMJ Case Reports Oct 2023We present the case of a woman in her late 20s who consulted our gynaecology emergency department due to dyspareunia and vaginal penetration issues. She had undergone a...
We present the case of a woman in her late 20s who consulted our gynaecology emergency department due to dyspareunia and vaginal penetration issues. She had undergone a 'virginity reconstruction' procedure 10 days before her wedding in Africa. Clinical examination revealed suture of the inferior part of inner labia (labia minora), narrowing of the vaginal introitus and abnormal vaginal discharge. We performed an inferior defibulation procedure and removed the sutures under general anaesthesia. Postoperative care included systemic metronidazole, counselling, vaginal dilators and topical estrogens for 1 month. There were no complications during the postoperative follow-up, and a month later, the woman confirmed a satisfactory outcome. The aim of this paper is to discuss the practice of so-called 'virginity reconstruction', currently classified among female cosmetic genital surgeries despite being very similar to what is defined as female genital mutilation, and the care that can be provided to women in such cases.
Topics: Female; Humans; Africa; Circumcision, Female; Dyspareunia; Gynecologic Surgical Procedures; Vagina; Adult
PubMed: 37798043
DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2022-251008 -
The Journal of Sexual Medicine Oct 2023Vaginoplasty is a gender-affirming surgery that is medically necessary for some transfeminine individuals. Little research exists describing vaginal health after the...
BACKGROUND
Vaginoplasty is a gender-affirming surgery that is medically necessary for some transfeminine individuals. Little research exists describing vaginal health after the initial recovery from surgery, and evidence-based guidelines for vaginal care practices are unavailable.
AIM
The study sought to describe self-reported gynecological concerns and vaginal care practices among transfeminine persons who have undergone vaginoplasty.
METHODS
A total of 60 transfeminine participants 18+ years of age, living in Canada, and who had undergone vaginoplasty at least 1 year prior were recruited through social media, community groups, healthcare provider referrals, and study recontact. Participants completed a cross-sectional, online questionnaire detailing demographics, gynecological concerns, and genital practices and exposures. Hierarchical clustering was used to group participants based on behavioral practices and exposures. Associations between clusters and gynecological concerns were assessed.
OUTCOMES
Outcomes included self-reported gynecological concerns within the past year, recent vulvar or vaginal symptoms (past 30 days), and behavioral practices/exposures, including douching with varied products and dilating.
RESULTS
Participants reported a variety of concerns in the past year, including urinary tract infection (13%) and internal hair regrowth (23%). More than half (57%) had experienced at least 1 recent vaginal symptom, most commonly malodor (27%) and vaginal bleeding (21%). Of participants, 48% were dilating weekly and 52% reported douching in the past 30 days. Four distinct clusters of vaginal practices/exposures were identified: limited exposures; dilating, no douching; dilating and douching; and diverse exposures. No significant associations between cluster membership and gynecological concerns were identified, though cluster membership was significantly associated with surgical center (P = .03). Open-text write-ins provided descriptions of symptoms and symptom management strategies.
CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
The results provide insight for clinicians on common patient-reported gynecological concerns and current vaginal care practices and exposures, including symptom management strategies.
STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS
This was the first study to investigate vaginal health and genital practices/exposures among a community sample of transfeminine individuals. As participants self-enrolled for a detailed survey and swab collection, individuals experiencing concerns were likely overrepresented.
CONCLUSION
Transfeminine individuals reported a range of gynecological concerns outside of the surgical healing period. Genital practices/exposures varied across clusters, but no clear associations between clusters and symptoms were identified; instead, practice/exposure clusters were dependent on where the individual underwent vaginoplasty. There is a need for evidence to inform diagnostics, treatments, and vaginal care guidelines to support vaginal health.
Topics: Female; Humans; Transgender Persons; Cross-Sectional Studies; Transsexualism; Vagina; Sex Reassignment Surgery
PubMed: 37700562
DOI: 10.1093/jsxmed/qdad109 -
Materials (Basel, Switzerland) Feb 2024There are more than 13,000 new cases of cervical cancer each year in the United States and approximately 245,000 survivors. External beam radiation and brachytherapy are...
There are more than 13,000 new cases of cervical cancer each year in the United States and approximately 245,000 survivors. External beam radiation and brachytherapy are the front-line treatment modalities, and 60% of patients develop vaginal damage and constriction, i.e., stenosis of the vaginal vault, greatly impeding sexual function. The incidence of vaginal stenosis (VS) following radiotherapy (RT) for anorectal cancer is 80%. VS causes serious quality of life (QoL) and psychological issues, and while standard treatment using self-administered plastic dilators is effective, acceptance and compliance are often insufficient. Based on published patient preferences, we have pursued the design of a soft inflatable dilator for treating radiotherapy-induced vaginal stenosis (VS). The critical component of the novel device is the dilator balloon wall material, which must be compliant yet able to exert therapeutic lateral force levels. We selected a commercially available silicone elastomer and characterized its stress-strain characteristics and hyperelastic properties. These parameters were quantified using uniaxial tensile testing and digital image correlation (DIC). Dilator inflation versus internal pressure was modeled and experimentally validated in order to characterize design parameters, particularly the dilator wall thickness. Our data suggest that an inflatable silicone elastomer-based vaginal dilator warrants further development in the context of a commercially available, well-tolerated, and effective device for the graded, controlled clinical management of radiotherapy-induced VS.
PubMed: 38473522
DOI: 10.3390/ma17051050 -
Midwifery Sep 2023To conduct a systematic review exploring women's experiences, views and understanding of any vaginal examinations during intrapartum care, in any care setting and by any... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
To conduct a systematic review exploring women's experiences, views and understanding of any vaginal examinations during intrapartum care, in any care setting and by any healthcare professional. Intrapartum vaginal examination is deemed both an essential assessment tool and routine intervention during labour. It is an intervention that can cause significant distress, embarrassment, and pain for women, as well as reinforce outdated gender roles. In view of its widespread and frequently reported excessive use, it is important to understand women's views on vaginal examination to inform further research and current practice.
DESIGN
A systematic search and meta-ethnography synthesis informed by Noblit and Hare (1988) and the eMERGe guidance (France et al. 2019) was undertaken. Nine electronic databases were searched systematically using predefined search terms in August 2021, and again in March 2023. Studies meeting the following criteria: English language, qualitative and mixed-method studies, published from 2000 onwards, and relevant to the topic, were eligible for quality appraisal and inclusion.
FINDINGS
Six studies met the inclusion criteria. Three from Turkey, one from Palestine, one from Hong Kong and one from New Zealand. One disconfirming study was identified. Following both a reciprocal and refutational synthesis, four 3rd order constructs were formed, titled: Suffering the examination, Challenging the power dynamic, Cervical-centric labour culture embedded in societal expectations, and Context of care. Finally, a line of argument was arrived at, which brought together and summarised the 3rd order constructs.
KEY CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF PRACTICE
The dominant biomedical discourse of vaginal examination and cervical dilatation as central to the birthing process does not align with midwifery philosophy or women's embodied experience. Women experience examinations as painful and distressing but tolerate them as they view them as necessary and unavoidable. Factors such as context of care setting, environment, privacy, midwifery care, particularly in a continuity of carer model, have considerable positive affect on women's experience of examinations. Further research into women's experiences of vaginal examination in different care models as well as research into less invasive intrapartum assessment tools that promote physiological processes is urgently required.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Gynecological Examination; Anthropology, Cultural; Parturition; Labor, Obstetric; Midwifery; Qualitative Research
PubMed: 37315454
DOI: 10.1016/j.midw.2023.103746 -
AJOG Global Reports Feb 2024This study aimed to systematically review the worldwide second-stage cesarean delivery rate concerning pre-second-stage cesarean delivery and assisted vaginal birth... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to systematically review the worldwide second-stage cesarean delivery rate concerning pre-second-stage cesarean delivery and assisted vaginal birth rates.
DATA SOURCES
PubMed, Medline Ovid, EBSCOhost, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar were queried from inception to February 2023, with the following terms: "full dilatation," "second stage," and "cesarean," with their word variations. Furthermore, an additional cohort of 353,434 cases from our recently published study was included.
STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Only original studies that provided sufficient information on the number of pre-second-stage cesarean deliveries, second-stage cesarean deliveries, and vaginal births were included for the calculation of different modes of delivery. Systemic reviews, meta-analyses, or case reports were excluded.
METHODS
Study identification and data extraction were independently performed by 2 authors. Selected studies were categorized on the basis of parity, study period, and geographic regions for comparison.
RESULTS
A total of 25 studies were included. The overall pre-second-stage cesarean delivery rate, the second-stage cesarean delivery rate, and the second-stage cesarean delivery-to-assisted vaginal birth ratio were 17.94%, 2.65%, and 0.19, respectively. Only 5 studies described singleton, term, cephalic presenting pregnancies of nulliparous women, and their second-stage cesarean delivery rates were significantly higher than those studies with cohorts of all parity groups (4.50% vs 0.83%; <.05). In addition, the second-stage cesarean delivery rate showed a secular increase across 2009 (0.70% vs 1.05%; <.05). Moreover, it was the highest among African studies (5.14%) but the lowest among studies from East Asia and South Asia (0.94%). The distributions of second-stage cesarean delivery rates of individual studies and subgroups were shown with that of pre-second-stage cesarean delivery and assisted vaginal birth using the bubble chart.
CONCLUSION
The overall worldwide pre-second-stage cesarean delivery rate was 17.94%, the second-stage cesarean delivery rate was 2.65%, and the second-stage cesarean delivery-to-assisted vaginal birth ratio was 0.19. The African studies had the highest second-stage cesarean delivery rate (5.14%) and second-stage cesarean delivery-to-assisted vaginal birth ratio (1.88), whereas the studies from East Asia and South Asia were opposite (0.94% and 0.11, respectively).
PubMed: 38380079
DOI: 10.1016/j.xagr.2024.100312