More than a third of women experience lasting health problems after childbirth, new research shows

Every year, at least 40 million women are likely to experience a long-term health problem caused by childbirth, according to a new study published today in The Lancet Global Health. Part of a special Series on maternal health, the study shows a high burden of postnatal conditions that persist in the months or even years after giving birth. These include pain during sexual intercourse (dyspareunia), affecting more than a third (35%) of postpartum women, low back pain (32%), anal incontinence (19%), urinary incontinence (8-31%), anxiety (9-24%), depression (11-17%), perineal pain (11%), fear of childbirth (tokophobia) (6-15%) and secondary infertility (11%).

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