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CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
Sexual health in the first year after childbirth: Mapping the current evidence
1
Gothenburg University, Sahlgrenska Academy- Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Gothenburg, Sweden
2
Malmö University, Department of Social Work- Centre for sexology and sexuality studies, Malmö, Sweden
Eur J Midwifery 2026;10(Supplement 1):A999
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Sexual health is an important part of overall well-being, and includes physical, emotional, and social aspects. The first year after childbirth brings major changes that influence sexuality in various ways. With growing interest in the field, there is a need to systematically map current knowledge and examine how postpartum sexual health is approached in research.
OBJECTIVES:
To identify and characterise peer-reviewed literature on the impact of childbirth on sexual health during the first year postpartum, and to map existing knowledge gaps.
METHODS:
A systematic scoping review was conducted using Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The protocol is registered with Open Science Framework. A structured search in PubMed, Scopus, and PsycINFO was carried out in 2024 and updated in 2025. Studies published from 2004 to 2025 were eligible if they explored sexual health in individuals who had given birth within 12 months.
RESULTS:
Of the 3,071 unique records screened, 147 studies have been included to date. Most studies were cross-sectional, conducted in middle- or high-income countries, and focused primarily on cisgender, heterosexual women. Postpartum sexual health was seldom clearly defined; instead, it was typically examined through sexual function, timing of resumption of intercourse, and dyspareunia. The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) was the most commonly used instrument to assess sexual health in the postpartum period. Psychological and sociocultural dimensions, as well as salutogenic perspectives, were rarely explored.
CONCLUSIONS:
Research on postpartum sexual health has increased in recent years, yet remains uneven in terms of geographic coverage, methodological approaches, and conceptual frameworks. More inclusive and integrated research is needed to better inform person-centred postpartum care.
KEY MESSAGE:
Postpartum sexual health deserves greater attention in research and practice, with a focus on health, inclusion, and lived experiences. It should be studied as a multidimensional aspect of well-being, in line with the established definition by the Guttmacher-Lancet Commission. Poster session 4 (Group B)
Sexual health is an important part of overall well-being, and includes physical, emotional, and social aspects. The first year after childbirth brings major changes that influence sexuality in various ways. With growing interest in the field, there is a need to systematically map current knowledge and examine how postpartum sexual health is approached in research.
OBJECTIVES:
To identify and characterise peer-reviewed literature on the impact of childbirth on sexual health during the first year postpartum, and to map existing knowledge gaps.
METHODS:
A systematic scoping review was conducted using Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The protocol is registered with Open Science Framework. A structured search in PubMed, Scopus, and PsycINFO was carried out in 2024 and updated in 2025. Studies published from 2004 to 2025 were eligible if they explored sexual health in individuals who had given birth within 12 months.
RESULTS:
Of the 3,071 unique records screened, 147 studies have been included to date. Most studies were cross-sectional, conducted in middle- or high-income countries, and focused primarily on cisgender, heterosexual women. Postpartum sexual health was seldom clearly defined; instead, it was typically examined through sexual function, timing of resumption of intercourse, and dyspareunia. The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) was the most commonly used instrument to assess sexual health in the postpartum period. Psychological and sociocultural dimensions, as well as salutogenic perspectives, were rarely explored.
CONCLUSIONS:
Research on postpartum sexual health has increased in recent years, yet remains uneven in terms of geographic coverage, methodological approaches, and conceptual frameworks. More inclusive and integrated research is needed to better inform person-centred postpartum care.
KEY MESSAGE:
Postpartum sexual health deserves greater attention in research and practice, with a focus on health, inclusion, and lived experiences. It should be studied as a multidimensional aspect of well-being, in line with the established definition by the Guttmacher-Lancet Commission. Poster session 4 (Group B)
| eISSN: | 2585-2906 |
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