Traumatic injury of female genitals is a problem associated with complicated labor or urgent surgery; it is also an event giving rise to various complications: incompetence of pelvic floor muscles, cervical and endometrial diseases, genital fistula, dyspareunia. Apart from medical issues, genital injuries are often associated with a number of ethical and even legal controversies (household accidents involving little girls, trauma following sexual misconduct, rape, etc.).
The following classification was developed to systematize traumatic injuries of female genitals.
• I. Foreign bodies.
• II. Recent injury of genitals:
- obstetric trauma of the cervix and body of the uterus, uterine walls, perineum, labia minora;
- recent injuries associated with sexual intercourse: ♢ ruptured hymen (defloration);
♢ rupture of vaginal walls;
- recent injuries not associated with sexual intercourse: ♢ trauma resulting from blunt injury;
♢ complications of surgery;
- injury incurred with cutting and piercing instruments (including female circumcision);
- burn:
♢ thermal burn; ♢ chemical burn.
• III. Old injuries of genitals and cicatricial changes:
- perineal and vaginal injuries (ruptures);
- cervical injuries;
- injuries of the body of uterus.
• IV. Urogenital and rectovaginal fistulas.