Is it a doctor’s note to give hubby excusing you from “marital duties”? As 
good as that sounds, unfortunately the genital hiatus is something you really should care about because it impacts much more than hubby.
Your genital hiatus is where it all comes together (or falls apart) in the middle. If your genital hiatus is in good shape you’re less likely to leak urine, gas, or feces.
Did you know:
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25% of women leak urine, stool, or gas for at least a few months after having their first baby?
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Incontinence and prolapse affect over half the female population.
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Your chances of undergoing surgery for incontinence during your lifetime is 1 in 9 (11%).
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30% (nearly one third!) of women who have surgery for “incontinence” or “prolapse” experience failure of the procedure and undergo repeat surgery.
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Incontinence and prolapse surgeries cost > $1Billion annually.
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You can prevent or correct incontinence without surgery.
What is the Genital Hiatus?
Imagine you’re standing upright–your pelvic muscles are shaped like a bowl lining and suspended from the bottom half of the bony pelvis. The genital hiatus is actually defined as the distance, front-to-back, between the urethral opening 
(where urine
comes out) and the back edge of the vaginal opening. It is technically a space but “genital hiatus” is used as a shorthand for the muscles that make up the pelvic “floor”, and the organs (vagina, urethra, and rectum) that pass through that “floor”. When we are young, before aging, babies, and genetics have taken hold, the floor of our “bowl” is taut like a trampoline, able to withstand all kinds of downward forces with nary a dent.
However, after babies, and depending on genetics, weight, 
and smoking status, our nice taut trampoline evolves into something more like a hammock. What does a hammock do? It sags in the middle; and when you put weight on it or exert pressure (such as jumping) it will sag more.
Over time, we can experience a gradual weakening of the muscles which can result in leaking urine, stool, and gas. Prior to babies the average length of the genital hiatus is around 3 cm (1.5 inches). After all that living, the genital hiatus can increase in size to 3-5 cm.
Why Should You Care?
While this may just seem like math, it can result in leakage of urine, gas, or stool. Don’t despair, no need to be depressed by this “saggy dog” story….
There is hope . The genital hiatus is one area you can impact to significantly improve your quality of life. Think back again to the “bowl” of muscles at the bottom of your pelvis. Imagine it’s like a camera-shutter (the old-fashioned “iris” style). 
The muscles converge in the midline and “wrap around” the openings of the urethra, vagina, and rectum. By doing Kegel exercises, wearing a pessary, or doing “pelvic muscle biofeedback”, you can restore your genital hiatus well enough to correct leaking within three months time.
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Have you had problems with leaking urine, gas or stool?
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What did you “do” about it?
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What worked for you and what didn’t?
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
How much hope is there for reducing the Gential Hiatus when there is a large un-repaired laceration of the perineum requiring reconstruction of the pelvic floor? (Uterine prolapse, rectocele and cystocele are present.)
Hi M, If the laceration is repaired and the neuromuscular function is normal you can do quite a bit reduce the size of the genital hiatus with a pelvic floor exercise program. I’d start with either Kegels alone, with a pessary, weighted vaginal cones, or with using a vaginal insert with a pressure sensor such as the Athena (I have no financial interest in the Athena; it just happens to be the only device of it’s kind I know of). I’d try a frequency of tens sets of ten (i.e. 100 muscle contractions daily). The use of a pessary, cones, or pressure sensor device might hasten the response by providing increased resistance and immediate feedback for your pelvic floor muscle efforts. Let me know how it goes and if you have any follow-up questions. Thank you for reading the blog. -SB