Does anxiety modify sexuality of pregnant women?

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of anxiety on women's sexuality during pregnancy. Material and methods:The prospective study involved 520 pregnant women at the age of 18-45. 168 of them were qualified for the final analysis. The research tools were: a self-designed questionnaire for women and standardized STAI scale. Results:The state and trait anxiety in pregnant women was evaluated during all trimesters of pregnancy. State anxiety was stronger among women with a strong tendency to feelings of anxiety. The authors also tried to determine the correlation between women's assessment of their relationship with the partners and its impact on state and trait anxiety during all three trimesters of pregnancy. Self assessment of relations between partners had statistically significant impact on the increase in state anxiety (p = 0.04) in multiparous women, who reported impairment of their relations with the partner, and had statistically significant impact on the increase in the trait anxiety in primiparous women (p = 0.02) and multiparous (p = 0.05) women, who reported deterioration of partnership especially in the second trimester of their pregnancy. Lower anxiety level in the second trimester contributed to the increased sexual activity. Conclusions:Anxiety level during pregnancy significantly affected the quality of sexual activity. Lower anxiety level in the second trimester contributed to the increased sexual activity.

The Relationship between Body Mass Index, Body Dissatisfaction and Mood Symptoms in Pregnant Women

“…First, descriptive statistics on anxiety and depression mean scores reflected find of previous studies (e.g., [31][32][33][34][35]). More specifically, around half of the sample rep moderate anxiety symptoms, supporting evidence of high prevalence rates of a mod degree of general anxiety during the first trimester of pregnancy [33].…”

Sexual and Life Satisfaction of Pregnant Women

“…The emotional states in the first and the third trimesters of pregnancy seem to be particularly important. Gałązka et al observed that the decrease in anxiety in the second trimester contributes to higher sexual activity [ 22 ]. Huras et al indicated that the libido of pregnant women significantly decreases in the first and the third trimesters of pregnancy compared to the period before pregnancy.…”

Biological factors and consequences of pregnancy-related anxiety – What do we know so far?

“…Kobiety z zaburzeniami lękowymi w ciąży cierpią na deficyt pamięci [142] i częściej używają nikotyny [47,143] oraz nielegalnych substancji psychoaktywnych [144]. Ciężarne, u których występuje lęk prenatalny, są bardziej narażone na brak wsparcia społecznego i ze strony rodziny [137], zgłaszają mniejszą satysfakcję seksualną [145] i częściej wykazują zwiększony poziom stresu rodzicielskiego [146] -wszystko to może prowadzić do wadliwych relacji z rodziną, partnerem i dzieckiem, a co za tym idzie, wtórnie powodować znaczny stres i cierpienie.…”