How will treatment of my pelvic organ prolapse affect my sex life?
If patients choose to use a pessary, their sex life shouldn’t change, except that the pessary usually needs to be removed prior to intercourse. If patients have reconstructive surgery to correct prolapse, we recommend that they refrain from intercourse for 3 months after their operation to allow proper healing. After waiting three months, adjusting to intercourse will take some time, but most patients report an improved sex life afterwards. When prolapse is severe, one surgical option is to completely close the vagina. This procedure, called colpocleisis or colpectomy, is less invasive than reconstructive surgery and is useful for patients with severe medical conditions. Of course, intercourse is impossible after having this procedure, so it is only appropriate for patients who are ABSOLUTELY sure that they never want to be sexually active again.
