Labor is a difficult and exhausting process. Some women die trying to bring new life into this world, and others may suffer life-threatening injuries. Other women suffer moderate injuries that would heal properly if doctors treated them property.
The tearing of the perineum or the tissue between the vagina and rectum can sometimes occur. Doctors also occasionally preemptively cut this area to facilitate a smoother birth. When a doctor performs an episiotomy on a woman or she tears during birth, stitches may be necessary for the tissue to heal adequately.
Unfortunately, some doctors do something incredibly unethical when they repair that delicate tissue.
What is a husband stitch?
Although some people will tell you that the husband stitch is a myth, it is a horrifying practice that still occasionally finds its way into modern birth wards. Essentially, the doctor treating the woman after her life-endangering labor wants to prioritize her husband’s sexual pleasure over her physical recovery.
The doctor will add an unnecessary stitch while repairing damaged tissue to make the vaginal canal seem tighter. They do this ostensibly for the husband’s benefit, but they put the woman’s future health at risk.
Many women who learn that a doctor performed a husband stitch while repairing a tear or episiotomy report ongoing pain. Many of them even become averse to sexual intimacy with their spouse because of how uncomfortable they are after their body heals.
Putting a man’s pleasure above a woman’s bodily autonomy is an inappropriate medical practice. Identifying things that your doctor should not do can help you hold them accountable if you suffer the negative consequences of medical malpractice during birth.
