1st-degree vaginal tears

First-degree tears are the least severe. They involve the skin between the vaginal opening and the rectum and the tissue directly beneath the skin. That area is called the perineum. First-degree tears also may happen around the tube that carries urine out of the body, called the urethra. First-degree tears usually cause some pain or stinging when you urinate. They may not require stitches, although some of them do. If a first-degree tear does need stitches, that repair typically can be done in the delivery room. These tears usually heal within several weeks.