Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a common disorder with a profoundly negative impact on the physical and psychological health of women worldwide; however, the exact etiology is currently unknown. Parity, defined as the number of births, is commonly identified as one of the leading risk factors for the development of POP. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of parity on the uniaxial mechanical properties of the sheep vagina along the longitudinal direction. The findings of this study revealed that parity negatively impacts the tangent modulus (54% decrease), tensile strength (54% decrease), and strain-energy density (47% decrease) of the vagina in the ewe (female sheep). Based on similar findings in primate, these data suggest that the ewe may serve as a cheaper alternative for studying the pathogenesis of POP moving forward.

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