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<p><strong>You Are Here:</strong> <span class="crumb_link"><a href="/" class="crumb_link">AHRQ Archive Home</a> &gt; <a href="/research/womenarch.htm" class="crumb_link">Women's Health Archive</a> &gt; What You Need To Know About... Episiotomy</span></p>
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<td><h1><a name="h1" id="h1"></a>What You Need To Know About... Episiotomy</h1>
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<p>This information is for reference purposes only. It was current when produced and may now be outdated. Archive material is no longer maintained, and some links may not work. Persons with disabilities having difficulty accessing this information should contact us at: <a href="https://info.ahrq.gov/">https://info.ahrq.gov</a>. Let us know the nature of the problem, the Web address of what you want, and your contact information. </p>
<p>Please go to <a href="https://www.ahrq.gov/">www.ahrq.gov</a> for current information.</p></div>
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<p>Research shows that <strong>routine use</strong> of episiotomies (surgical cuts in the area between the vagina and anus) does not keep the mother's skin from tearing during birth. It does not speed up a normal birth. It does not help avoid the bladder control problems women sometimes get after having a baby.</p>
<p>Select to download print version (<a href="episiotomy.pdf">PDF File</a>, 90 KB). <a href="/pdfhelp.htm">PDF Help</a>.</p>
<hr />
<ul>
<li><a href="#know">What You Need to Know</a>.</li>
<li><a href="#haveornot">To Have or Not To Have an Episiotomy</a>.</li>
<li><a href="#whatshouldi">What Should I Do</a>?</li>
</ul>
<a id="know" name="know"></a>
<h3>What You Need to Know</h3>
<p>An episiotomy is a surgical cut in the perineum. (That is the area between the vagina and the anus.) When a woman has a baby, the doctor, nurse-midwife, or midwife may make this cut.</p>
<p>If you are pregnant, you should talk to your doctor, nurse-midwife, or midwife about episiotomies, just as you talk about whether you want pain medicine during childbirth. Do it <strong>before</strong> you get to the delivery room!</p>
<p class="size2"><a href="#top">Top of Page</a> <a href="#top"><img src="../images/bullet_up.jpg" alt="Top of Page" width="14" height="15" border="0" /></a> </p>
<a id="haveornot" name="haveornot"></a>
<h3>To Have or Not to Have an Episiotomy?</h3>
<p>Some doctors perform episiotomies for every birth. Researchers looked at the evidence for this <strong>routine use</strong> of episiotomies. They did not look at special cases, such as when a baby's shoulders get stuck during birth.</p>
<p>The research shows that routine use of episiotomies does not keep the mother's skin from tearing during birth. It does not speed up a normal birth. It does not help avoid the bladder control problems women sometimes get after having a baby.</p>
<p><strong>You should know that:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Both episiotomies and tears that occur when giving birth may be painful. They may be slow to heal. They can become infected.</li>
<li>If you do not have an episiotomy, your skin may tear during delivery. But the tear is likely to be smaller than an episiotomy and to heal with less pain.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Women who do not have episiotomies:</strong></p>
<ul><li> Are likely to start having sex sooner after childbirth than women who have them.</li>
<li> Have less pain the first time they have sexual intercourse after childbirth.</li>
</ul>
<p class="size2"><a href="#top">Top of Page</a> <a href="#top"><img src="../images/bullet_up.jpg" alt="Top of Page" width="14" height="15" border="0" /></a> </p>
<a id="whatshouldi" name="whatshouldi"></a>
<h3>What Should I Do?</h3>
<h4>Be Informed!</h4>
<ul>
<li>Talk with your doctor, nurse-midwife, or midwife. Ask the reasons they might perform an episiotomy. Ask how often they perform them.</li>
<li>Tell your doctor, nurse-midwife, or midwife any questions or concerns you have about having an episiotomy.</li>
<li>Tell them what you prefer. Your voice counts!</li>
</ul>
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<td>This information came from a report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The <a href="https://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/evidence-based-reports/centers/index.html#rti">RTI-International/University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Evidence-based Practice Center</a> produced the report, <a href="/clinic/tp/epistp.htm">The Use of Episiotomy in Obstetrical Care: A Systematic Review</a>.</td>
</tr></table>
<p><strong>U.S. Department of Health and Human Services</strong><br />
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality</p>
<p class="size2"><em>AHRQ Publication No. 06-0005<br />
Current as of December 2005</em> </p>
<!-- <hr />
<p class="size2"><strong>Internet Citation:</strong> </p>
<p class="size2"><em>What You Need To Know About...Episiotomy</em>. AHRQ Publication No.
06-0005, December 2005. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville,
MD. https://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/episiotomy.htm </p>
<hr /> --> <br />
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<p> The information on this page is archived and provided for reference purposes only.</p></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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