Abstract

Introduction: Episiotomy is an intended incision made through the perineal body to enlarge the vaginal orifice during the second stage of labor to ease the parturition. A cross sectional study in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, showed that 35% of the females in 2012 had an episiotomy, this slightly increased in 2015 to (36.4%). Given the increase rates of episiotomy and the significance of patients’ awareness, there were very limited data on the awareness of episiotomy among women. Aim: Aim of this study is to estimate the extent of the awareness regarding the episiotomy procedure among women in Saudi Arabia. Material and Methods: Participants aged 15 and above filled a questionnaire distributed online to different regions of Saudi Arabia. Descriptive statistics were used. Results: a total of 626 women participated in this study with a mean age 34.7 years. The majority (63.6%) of women reported being informed about the procedure. Still, only (40%) of them were able to describe the procedure correctly. Only age, parity and history of previous episiotomy were predictors for episiotomy awareness. Women aged 35 or less were more aware of episiotomy than those aged more than 35 with a p-value (

Key words: Saudi Arabia, pregnancy, episiotomy, parity, labor, surveys and questionnaires.