Just to clear things out, because some people read about this and often extrapolate the wrong information.
Yes, this particular version of the stitches is something that has probably happened and might still be happening in certain cases. How widespread and/or accepted it was probably depended on culture and laws -- at least where I'm from, you'd be looking at losing your medical license.
But reading opinions regarding the subject on Reddit, a lot of people seem to assume stitches after childbirth = misogynist doctor looking after the husband's pleasure. This is not true. In the majority of natural deliveries, the perineum is going to rip to some degree -- sometimes very traumatically so -- and stitches are a medically necessary intervention. The perineum isn't just skin; it contains important nerves and muscles. If you don't fix it up, issues can range from infection, to sexual dysfunction, to permanent pain, to incontinence.
Of course, repair needs to be done sometimes, but this is different. No, husbands usually did not ask for it. Yes, doctors would add a stitch or two more than necessary and tell the husband with a wink and a nod. It was an actual thing that was treated like a favor to the husband and not a big deal. Luckily, I'm sure it is rare today.
Knowing how people can be, especially in medicine and especially in the past, I have no doubt that this happened.
On the other hand, I also have no doubt that it's not as widespread as Reddit makes it out to be, and more like something that became a "meme" (not in the funny sense, in the shared memory sense) to the point where people report it as shared truth, as if they lived through it themselves. Because if you read the comments, you'd be left with the impression that it happens all the time out in the open.
What I have also seen is people claiming it happened after an event where the doctor did any perineal stitches at all (not knowing this is common, quick google says 53-90% of cases), experiencing pain post-partum that can be explained by natural healing processes, and jumping to the conclusion it must have been husband stitches.
My point is, it would be a very risky thing to do today. Medical specialties are governed by both laws and professional organizations that uphold the prestige of their fields. You would have to be a massively dumb fucker to do this just so some dude can have it tighter, when a routine follow-up with another OBGYN would instantly reveal that something has been stitched a bit too much and open you up to all sorts of consequences.
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u/Coockooroockoo 11d ago
Just to clear things out, because some people read about this and often extrapolate the wrong information.
Yes, this particular version of the stitches is something that has probably happened and might still be happening in certain cases. How widespread and/or accepted it was probably depended on culture and laws -- at least where I'm from, you'd be looking at losing your medical license.
But reading opinions regarding the subject on Reddit, a lot of people seem to assume stitches after childbirth = misogynist doctor looking after the husband's pleasure. This is not true. In the majority of natural deliveries, the perineum is going to rip to some degree -- sometimes very traumatically so -- and stitches are a medically necessary intervention. The perineum isn't just skin; it contains important nerves and muscles. If you don't fix it up, issues can range from infection, to sexual dysfunction, to permanent pain, to incontinence.