Abstract:
Background: Resumption of postpartum sexual intercourse is defined as the first penetrative
vaginal sexual intercourse occurring within 6 weeks of childbirth, regardless of whether the
delivery was spontaneous vaginal or caesarean. Thus, compared to women who do not practice
early resumption of postpartum sexual intercourse after childbirth, postpartum mothers who do so
have a significantly higher risk of developing infections as a result of vaginal lesions and abrasions.
Objective: To assess the early resumption of sexual intercourse and its associated factors among
married postpartum women who give birth within last One year in Ambo Town, West Shoa zone,
Oromia, Ethiopia, 2023.
Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 25 April to 25 May
2023. 630 postpartum women were selected using simple random sampling technique. The
collected data were checked for completeness and coded, then entered into EPI Data version 3.1
and exported to SPSS version 26 for analysis. All predictor’s variables with p value <0.25 in
bivariable analysis were entered into multivariable logistic regression analysis. Variables with a p
value of less than 0.05 in the multivariable analysis were taken as statistically significant predictors
of ERoPSI.
Results: A total of 583 study participants, participated in this study, making a response rate of
92.5%. The prevalence of Early resumption of postpartum sexual intercourse practice among
married postpartum women in Ambo town was 45.6% (95% CI;41.6,49.4). Practiced sexual
intercourse during pregnancy (AOR; 3.4, 95% CI; 1.33-8.54), resume menstruation (AOR; 2.2,
95% CI; 1.66-4.02), mode of delivery (AOR; 3.8, 95% CI; 1.89-7.71), infant feeding practice
(AOR; 3.051, 95% CI; 1.963-4.743), Parity (AOR; 2.99, 95% CI: 1.612-5.554), Postnatal care visit
(AOR; 2.58, 95% CI: 1.66-4.02) and Contraceptive method Use (AOR; 2.6, 95% CI: 1.68-4.12)
were significantly associated with ERoPSI.
Conclusion: This study shows that near to half of women had ERoPSI. Resuming menstruation,
sexual intercourse during the index pregnancy, mode of delivery, infant feeding practices, using
contraceptive methods, parity and PNC visit were found to be significantly associated with
ERoPSI. Health care providers should give attention to predictors of early resumption of ERoPSI
