To characterise the time, quality, and patient concerns around the first sexual experience following surgery for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) or urine incontinence (UI) (UI). This qualitative study included women who were planned to have POP or UI surgery who self-identified as sexually active. 4–6 weeks postoperatively, routine counselling on the return to sexual activity was offered. Interviews were conducted with participants 2–4 months following their operation. Tape recordings of interviews were made, de-identified, and transcribed. Two separate researchers coded transcriptions for main themes; discrepancies were resolved by the study team. Dedoose software was used for the analysis. Twenty patients, with an average age of 52.4 years, took part in the study. The majority identified as White, one-quarter had had a hysterectomy, and 15% had previously undergone pelvic reconstruction surgery. Two to four months following surgery, nineteen individuals resumed intercourse. Outside Influences, Conflicting Emotions, Uncertainty, Sexual Changes and Stability, Normalization, and Self-Image obtained thematic saturation. The date of the first sexual experience was heavily affected by the participants’ wants and anxieties, as well as physician guidance. Patients’ comfort with returning to sexual activity was impacted by their fear of harm to repairs.
Although women were unsure how anatomical alterations or the presence of mesh would influence function, they anticipated that the modifications would be good regardless of preoperative sexual function. Some women’s experiences remained the same, while others reported the necessity for a change in sexual position, the need of lubricant, and the sense of a foreign body. Positive changes included an increase in desire, pleasure, and orgasm. After surgery, women’s sexual confidence grew as their self-image improved.
