Genital and Sexual Function in Women With a History of Pelvic Fracture

Pelvic fractures in women significantly affect the urogenital organs, and thus may cause urinary, genital, and sexual problems. The present study aimed to assess the incidence of pelvic fractures and the correlation between genital and sexual complications in different kinds of pelvic fractures among women of reproductive age. The population of this cross-sectional study included 180 women with pelvic ring fractures who referred to Shohada teaching hospital of Tabriz during 2013-2017, out of whom 102 patients were selected based on the inclusion criteria. However, 11 patients discontinued the treatment. The remaining 91 patients were physically examined in terms of the pelvic fracture type, the function of genital and sexual organs, and the mode of delivery after the trauma. The required data were recorded through the questionnaire. Finally, the patients were followed up for 12 months, on average. The mean age was 28.38 ± 6.0 years. In addition, the frequencies of anteroposterior compression (APC), acetabular, combined, LC, and VS fractures were obtained 54%, 24%, 7.6%, 7.6%, and 4.3%, respectively. A number of 28 women (25.2%) reported symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction while the other women complained about pelvic pain (n = 16), dysmenorrhea (n = 9), a sensation of vaginal prolapse (n = 8), and pelvic organ prolapse (n = 1). Further, only 6 women (out of 18 births, 33 %) had a cesarean section due to the complications of pelvic fracture. Furthermore, 21 women described their problems during the sexual intercourse, 12 reported dyspareunia, 3 had coital incontinences, 4 had anorgasmia and 15 had a reduced frequency of intercourse. Finally, the frequency of pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms and sexual problems was high in the VS and combined fractures. In general, the frequency of APC fracture was higher than the other types of fractures. However, genital and sexual complications were higher in VS and combined fractures. Eventually, pelvic pain and dyspareunia were the most common complications among these patients.