Sexual function in women after delivery:Does episiotomy matter?

Objective: Despite the fact that a restrictive use of episiotomy has proven to be beneficial, it continues to be widely used in vaginal births. Our aim was to compare women with episiotomy, to women with an intact perineum, 3 months after delivery, regarding several sexual variables, namely: sexual desire, arousal, orgasm, pain, sexual satisfaction and sexual function. Methods: An exploratory, descriptive and quantitative study using a non-probabilistic, convenience sample of 147 Portuguese women, of which 54 belonged to a control group, was performed. The groups were not significantly different regarding socio-demographic aspects. Three instruments were used: the Female Sexual Function Index, a Socio-demographic and Clinical Questionnaire and the Female Sexual Function Questionnaire. Results: Most women mentioned a moderate level of sexual interest. Women with episiotomy present higher pain intensity, less sexual satisfaction, greater changes regarding the orgasm’s duration and intensity, lower levels of sexual arousal and total sexual function, than women with intact perineum. Discussion: We found no significant differences between women with episiotomy and women with an intact perineum in most variables. However, women with episiotomy presented higher levels of pain and a lower sexual satisfaction, being these significant differences.

Same place, different time, head up: Multiple antipredator responses to a recolonizing apex predator

Prey adjust their antipredator behavioral tactics to minimize the risk of an encounter with predators.Spatiotemporal responses of prey to pred-ators have been reported,but the nature of antipredator response is not ubiquitous and it is the object of increasing interest,especially consid-ering the recent recovery of large carnivores in Europe,and the potential for behavioral antipredator responses to elicit consequences at the ecosystem level.We have tested multiple antipredator responses by fallow deer Dama dama to wolf Canis lupus in a Mediterranean protected area recently recolonized by this apex predator.Through intensive camera trapping,we tested for temporal and spatial association between predator and prey,and we have also studied deer vigilance in forest habitats where focal observations are usually impossible.Wolf detection rates were spatially associated with those of fallow deer.Accordingly,no evidence was found for fallow deer avoiding sites with higher predator detection rates.Temporal activity patterns were significantly different between the 2 species,with the wolf being mainly nocturnal whereas fallow deer was active especially during daylight.A comparison with a preliminary study strongly suggests an increase in the diurnal activity of fallow deer along with the stabilization of wolf presence in the area.Both the rate and the duration of vigilance of female fallow deer increased with the local frequency of wolf activity.We suggest an antipredator response based on temporalrather than spatialavoidance,as well as increasedvigilance.