Background Whether perineal injury severity independently determines postpartum sexual quality of life (SQoL) is unclear. This study evaluated perineal tears and body image as determinants of SQoL and sexual resumption timing.Methods A total of 173 women (2–24 months postpartum, vaginal delivery) completed an online questionnaire including the SQoL-F and Body Image Scale (BIS). Women with perineal tear/episiotomy (PT/E; n = 118) were compared with those with an intact perineum (n = 51) using multivariate regression.Results SQoL-F scores were similar between groups (71.1 ± 23.3 vs 76.9 ± 24.0; p = 0.10), though PT/E delayed sexual resumption (p = 0.04). On multivariate analysis, SQoL-F was independently associated with dyspareunia (β = −10.96; p < 0.001), body image disturbance (β = −0.93; p < 0.001), and pre-pregnancy sexual satisfaction (β = +4.99; p = 0.001), but not tear type. Delayed resumption was independently associated with OASI (OR = 7.02; p = 0.02), first/second-degree tears (OR = 2.20; p = 0.04), and lower pre-pregnancy relationship satisfaction (OR = 0.50; p = 0.048).Conclusions Postpartum SQoL is primarily determined by dyspareunia and body image disturbance rather than perineal tear severity. OASI carries a substantial risk of delayed sexual resumption, warranting dedicated postpartum counseling.
Objective To explore how professional women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) experience and manage conflicts between treatment demands and professional identity; and to identify ways healthcare professionals can support them.Methods Following COREQ guidelines, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 18 professional women undergoing ART in a tertiary care hospital. Reflexive Thematic Analysis bolstered by interdisciplinary investigator triangulation (clinical and basic science) ensured thematic confirmability.Results Analysis revealed Gendered Occupational Asymmetry (female occupational burden regardless of clinical aetiology), the Insider Paradox (the role reversal for healthcare professionals) and the Workplace Panopticon (constant self-surveillance to preserve professional authority). Interestingly, work simultaneously often acted as a Sanctuary of Competence, providing psychological respite. Finally, narratives exposed an Existential Rumination (mourning past personal-professional decisions) and permanent temporal career stalling. These themes were further mapped onto a ‘A Day in the Life’ structural framework to illustrate compounding daily burdens.Conclusions Current clinical lifestyle directives inadequately account for the rigid psycho-socioeconomic structures governing professional women. Based on identified themes, we propose targeted measures for healthcare professionals to deliver patient-centric care by integrating occupational awareness and identity-sensitive counselling into routine ART practice, thereby potentially reducing distress and improving treatment experience.
Background Insomnia is prevalent among women with cancer and often co-occurs with fatigue, pain, and physiological dysregulation, yet these domains are rarely examined together in mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) research.Objective To map the evidence on MBIs for insomnia in this population and examined how physical symptoms and biological outcomes have been assessed alongside sleep.Methods Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, eight databases were searched from inception to January 2026. Eligible studies included adult women with cancer receiving an MBI and reporting sleep outcomes. Data were charted on study characteristics, intervention features, sleep measures, physical symptoms, and biomarkers, and synthesized using tables and visual mapping.Results Thirty-nine studies were included. Most reported improvements in sleep, while fewer assessed fatigue, pain, or other physical symptoms, and only a small subset included biological markers. Concordance across sleep, physical, and biological domains was limited, with substantial heterogeneity in intervention format and dose.Conclusions MBIs consistently improve sleep in women with cancer, but multidomain (sleep, physical, biological) integration remains limited due to heterogeneity. Heterogeneity in populations, interventions, comparators, and outcome measures precludes broad implementation across oncology settings. Standardized, adequately powered, mechanism-informed studies are needed to identify the most appropriate MBIs for specific patient groups and clinical contexts.
Introduction Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are prescribed for depression during pregnancy, yet the impact on maternal and neonatal outcomes remains insufficiently studied. The study aimed to describe the prevalence of prescribed SSRIs to pregnant women and its association with birth outcomes after a vaginal birth.Methods A registry study included 405,936 term vaginal births in Sweden. SSRI prescriptions were identified. Crude and adjusted odds ratios with 99% confidence intervals were calculated, with statistical significance set at p < 0.001.Results SSRIs were prescribed to 6.374 women (1.6%), with prevalence rising from 0.3% to 2.6% between 2005 and 2015. SSRI was associated with significantly higher rates of labor induction, epidural anesthesia and PPH > 1000 mL. postpartum. Women prescribed SSRIs were more likely to give birth at 37–38 weeks' gestation and have neonates with head circumference < 35 cm and with Apgar score < 7 at 5 min.Conclusions SSRI prescriptions increased significantly between 2005 and 2015 and were associated with higher risks of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Until more conclusive evidence is availble midwives and obstetricians should remain vigilant when supporting pregnant women with depression or anxiety, considering the potential risks of pharmacological treatment alongside non-pharmacological management of maternal mental health conditions.
Objective During infectious disease outbreaks, pregnant women and their fetuses may be especially vulnerable to health risks, emphasizing the importance of preventive health behaviors (PHB). The role of concerns about fetal health in shaping PHB during COVID-19 has never been examined. The present study examined the joint effect of concerns about fetal health and Coronavirus-related health beliefs (within the Health Belief Model) on PHB during COVID-19.Methods During the COVID-19 pandemic (September–November 2021), 202 pregnant Israeli women completed online questionnaires that assessed concerns about fetal health, health beliefs (perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, and barriers), and adherence to preventive health behaviors. Multiple hierarchical regression and mediation analyses were conducted.Results Concerns about fetal health were positively associated with PHB. Perceived susceptibility and perceived benefits were also positively associated with PHB, whereas perceived barriers were negatively associated; perceived severity was not significant. Mediation analyses indicated that concerns about fetal health fully mediated the association between perceived susceptibility and PHB and partially mediated the associations between perceived severity and perceived benefits and PHB.Conclusions Concerns about fetal health play important direct and indirect roles in adhering to PHB during pregnancy. These findings may guide health services in developing tailored programs during pandemics.
