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Most women who have a vaginal birth have either a tear or a cut. A few women have both.

We don't know exactly how many women have a tear in the perineum during childbirth. Doctors and midwives don't always record small tears. Experts think that at least a third of women in the United States have a tear large enough to need stitches.^{1 2}

In one study from the United Kingdom, more than 8 in 10 women had a tear or cut during a vaginal birth.³ And about 7 in 10 needed stitches.

Bad tears, which go all the way from the vagina to the anal opening (third-degree or fourth-degree tears), happen less often. But we don't know exactly how many women in the United States have a bad tear. In one study from Canada, about 7 in 100 women who give birth had a bad tear.⁴

Your chance of having a cut (episiotomy) depends on where you live. In the United States, about a quarter of women have a cut. In some eastern European countries, nearly all women have a cut during delivery.^{1 5 6}

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.