The Husband Stitch: Gender inequality in the healthcare system

Written by Syesha Patel | Edited by Mim Hossain

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It is not unknown that there is a gender gap in the healthcare system. An example of that can be with pain. Chen et al (2008) as cited in Billock, 2018) conducted a study that suggested women who were experiencing acute pain in the emergency department, were less likely to be given painkillers compared to men. This issue suggests evidence of gender inequality in the healthcare system, in relation to a gender bias.

During childbirth, women may experience a perineum tear when the baby comes out. To ensure the safety of both the mother and the baby, a doctor or nurse may carry out a procedure known as episiotomy, which is when a cut is made at the vaginal entrance (NHS, 2020). NHS (2020) suggest that in England, around 1 in 7 vaginal deliveries will involve an episiotomy.

After the safe delivery of the baby, the tear can be repaired with dissolvable stitches that should heal within a month after the procedure. However, there are sinister times when the mother may receive more stitches to tighten the woman’s vaginal entrance. This may be done by the request from the male partner, or the malicious intentions from the medical practitioner. This is named the “Husband Stitch”. Some have claimed this to be a myth or even a joke, but it is known that the Husband Stitch does not provide any benefits for the health and wellbeing for women (Murphy, 2018).

The Husband Stitch apparently enhances sexual pleasure for the male partner in the relationship (Das, 2022). However, there is no evidence to suggest that it can increase sexual pleasure and it is not an approved medical procedure. Furthermore, it has been suggested that it will cause more pain to both individuals during sexual intercourse (Davis, 2020). Furthermore, it has been suggested that the procedure can cause damage to nerve endings, and this can lead to the reduced or complete loss of sensation in the area (Sruthi, 2021).

This procedure may relate to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) which is defined by the World Health Organisation as the partial or total removal of a female’s external genitalia, as well as damage to other genital organs for non-medical purposes (WHO, 2023). This can cause the female severe bleeding, infections, complications with urination and cysts. FGM is a criminal offence under the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003, which is from UK legislation (Ray, 2021).

In the legislation, Section 1(2)(b) suggests that “…no offence is committed by an approved person who performs…” either one of the two options. Option A stating, “a surgical operation on a girl which is necessary for her physical or mental health…” or Option B “a surgical operation on a girl who is in any stage of labour, or has just given birth, for purposes connected with the labour or birth”. This ‘gap’ in legislation can give medical health practitioners unrestricted control over the surgery, if they have malevolent intentions (Das, 2022). Even more so, it is very difficult to prosecute individuals who may be responsible for the harm, as it could easily be seen as a mistake in surgery, rather than a malicious act (Das, 2022).

To summarise the overall situation of how horrifying the Husband Stitch is, there is a quote by Stephanie Tillman from Chicago, “the fact that there is even a practice called the husband stitch is a perfect example of the intersection of the objectification of women’s bodies and healthcare” (Murphy, 2018). This quotation perfectly explains gender inequality in the healthcare system, and how women’s bodies are practiced without their consent.

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Archambault, A. (2018). A woman says her vagina was sewn tighter after childbirth without her knowledge — and it’s more common than you’d think. Insider. Retrieved February 6, 2023, from https://www.insider.com/what-is-the-husband-stitch-post-childbirth-practice-2018-7 Billock, J. (2018). Pain bias: The health inequality rarely discussed. BBC Future. Retrieved February 7, 2023, from https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180518-the-inequality-in-how-women-are-treated-for-pain Das, A. (2022). The husband’s stitch: A violation of patients’ bodily autonomy. OHRH. Retrieved February 6, 2023, from https://ohrh.law.ox.ac.uk/the-husbands-stitch-a-violation-of-patients-bodily-autonomy/ Davis, K. (2020). Husband stitch: What is it? Medical News Today. Retrieved February 6, 2023, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/husband-stitch Murphy, C. (2018). The husband stitch isn’t just a horrifying childbirth myth. Healthline. Retrieved February 6, 2023, from https://www.healthline.com/health-news/husband-stitch-is-not-just-myth NHS. (2020). Episiotomy and perineal tears. NHS Choices. Retrieved February 6, 2023, from https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/labour-and-birth/what-happens/episiotomy-and-perineal-tears/ Ray, S. (2021). The husband-stitch: Could it be female genital mutilation? Durham University. Retrieved February 6, 2023, from https://www.durham.ac.uk/research/institutes-and-centres/ethics-law-life-sciences/about-us/news/obstetric-violence-blog/the-husband-stitch/ Sruthi, M. (2021). Is the husband Stitch Legal? Malpractice, side effects. MedicineNet. Retrieved February 14, 2023, from https://www.medicinenet.com/is_the_husband_stitch_legal/article.htm WHO. (2023). Female genital mutilation. World Health Organization. Retrieved February 6, 2023, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/female-genital-mutilation#:~:text=Female%20genital%20mutilation%20(FGM)%20involves,benefits%20for%20girls%20and%20women