Characteristic

The uterus is an important organ in the female reproductive system. It is in this womb that the baby will live in the mother's stomach. However, some women turn out to have an unusual position of the uterus, the uterus is tilted toward the back (retroverted). So, what are the signs that a woman has a backward tilted uterus?

What is a retroverted uterus?

A retroverted uterus is a condition where the uterus is tilted backwards on the cervix (cervix) instead of being straight forward. Even if seen, the retroverted uterus tends to stick to the colon and rectum.

Comparison of normal and retroverted uterine positions - Source: Uterineversion

This condition can affect more than 25 percent of women worldwide. Women with a retroverted uterus can be caused from birth (congenital) or due to certain medical conditions such as, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, after pelvic surgery, and infection of the uterus.

The features of the uterus are tilted back

Generally, the uterus that is retroverted, aka tilted back, does not cause problems. Some women who experience this condition experience no symptoms, but some women may already be aware of it.

The main symptoms of people experiencing a retroverted uterus are:

Pain during sexual intercourse or dyspareunia
Pain during menstruation or dysmenorrhea

This symptom does look too common, so that some women don't realize it, and some women who have had regular pelvic exams with their pregnancy doctor may already know about it. Other symptoms that can arise are:

lower back or vaginal pain during sexual intercourse
Urinary incontinence (unable to control urination)
Frequent urination, because the bladder is compressed
Urinary tract infection
Fertility problems
The emergence of a bulge in the lower abdomen

The resulting sexual problems

Although most of these conditions are not dangerous, there are still some problems that may arise. One of them is sexual problems that occur because of this abnormal position of the uterus.

So, in women who have a uterus in this position it will cause the ovaries and fallopian tubes to turn backwards. As a result, during penetration, the penis can hit the reproductive organs, so that women often experience pain during sexual intercourse (called collision dyspareunia) especially if the woman is on top (woman on top). In fact, not infrequently this position can tear the ligaments that surround the uterus.

Then what treatment is needed if it is known that the uterus is tilted back?

If the uterine tilt is causing problems, there are several treatment options that can be done. However, if this condition does not cause any symptoms in you, it may not be necessary to treat it.

However, you should first discuss the right options with your doctor. What is clear, treatment will also be carried out based on the cause why the uterus is tilted. For example, if the cause is endometriosis, hormone therapy is needed. Treatment that can be done, namely.

1. Exercise movement

Performing certain movements on a regular basis may help correct the position of the uterus that is tilted back. There are two moves that can be taken to deal with this problem.

Chest-knee movement

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Slowly, lift one knee toward your chest. Pull gently with both hands. Hold this position for 20 seconds, release, and repeat with the other leg. This movement is however ineffective if the cause of uterine tilt is due to endometriosis, fibroid tumor or pelvic infection.

Pelvic contractions

This exercise works to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. Lie on your back with your hands next to you in a relaxed position. Then lift your butt up. Inhale as you lift your butt off the floor. Hold and release as you exhale. Repeat 10-15 times.

2. Using a pessary device

This pessary is made of silicone or plastic. This device is a small device that is inserted into the vagina to support the uterus in an upright position. Pessaries can be used temporarily or permanently. However, it is suspected that the pessary in the long term can cause infection.

3. Surgery

In some cases, surgery may be needed to reposition the uterus, and to reduce pain due to the tilt of the uterus. There are several different procedures involved in this surgery.

Uterine suspension procedure, which is surgery performed laparoscopically, through the vagina or outside the stomach
The uplift procedure, which is a laparoscopic procedure that takes about 10 minutes to lift the uterus. This includes the latest surgical procedures to treat the position of the uterus.