We have undertaken a prospective study of vaginal injuries due to coit
us with the aim of evaluating their incidence ,risk factors and anatom
ic lesions. Over a period of 39 months, 98 cases were found,giving a m
onthly incidence of 2.5. The patients had a mean age of 25 years, were
paucipara in more than 50 %. Sexual abstinence was found in 72 cases
with a mean duration of 6 months. This injury occured more often in gy
necological period than in the postpartum (77 cases versus 22). During
sexual intercourse the most harmful position was when the patient was
in dorsal decubitus with maximum flexion and abduction of the limbs.
The vaginal injury was located in the posterior cul de sac in 39 cases
and:was of 5 cm of length in 56 %. Surgical suture was required in 92
out of 98 patients, in combination with local and general antibiotics
. Conclusion: Vaginal injuries due to coitus are frequent in our prati
ce and they create serious anatomic lesions. So there is a need to pre
cise the etiopathogenlcity (hormonal deficiency ?, infections ?, role
of the male partner) and to evaluate the long term sequellas.