Features of the sexual life during pregnancy

Abstract

Background. The aim of our study was to evaluate Vilnius and Vilnius Region women's knowledge about sexual intercourse during pregnancy.Materials and methods. The study included 94 women who were in the Center Affiliate of VUH Santariskiu Clinics after delivery. The women were interviewed using a questionnaire. They were divided in three groups by levels of education.Results. The study showed that 83% of pregnant women had sexual intercourse during pregnancy. 55.1% had coitus several times a month. The first trimester was the most frequent period of sexual intercourse (52.6%). 22.6% of pregnant women were at high risk of miscarriage and 61.9% of them have had sexual intercourse. The frequency of miscarriage in the sexually active group was 17.9% and in the non-active group it was 50% (p < 0.05). All women who reported frequent sexual intercourse were not at threat for miscarriage compared to incidence of miscarriage of those 13 (22%) women who reported infrequent intercourse (p = 0.019). 79.8% of pregnant women were concerned about the adverse effects of sexual intercourse on pregnancy outcomes. 20.2% of the women thought that intercourse during pregnancy was safe. 63.8% of pregnant women were not asked by doctors during pregnancy about their sexual life.Conclusions. The majority (79.8%) of pregnant women were concerned about the adverse effects of sexual intercourse on pregnancy outcomes but even 83% of pregnant women had sexual intercourse during pregnancy. There were no statistical differences between women with different education level. Pregnant women were rarely asked by doctors about their sexual life.

Assessing the Impact of Pregnancy on Sexuality Using the Pregnancy Sexual Response Inventory

“…Jelena Isajeva et al in their study founded that 52.6% (n = 41) had frequent sexual intercourse during the first trimester, 24.4% (n = 19) had it during the second trimester and only a small amount of the women had it during the third trimester. The majority of the authors indicate a decrease in the frequency of sexual intercourse during pregnancy [5]. In this study an increase in the number of women who did not have any sexual intercourse during a week in the first quarter can be noticed.…”

“…Myths about sex during pregnancy harming fetus and leading to preterm labor or miscarriage are very strong factors releasing fear and leading to avoidance of sexual contact during gestation [4]. Different studies showed that 86% -100% of couples remained sexually active during pregnancy but experienced reduction in sexual activity, especially in the third trimester [5]. This is one of the largest studies about the impact of pregnancy in sexual life using a validated inventory.…”

Effects of group sexual counseling on the traditional perceptions and attitudes of Iranian pregnant women

“… 1 This transition period affects the sexual orientation and sexual life of couples through creating physical, emotional, and psychological changes, along with sociocultural factors 2 , 3 and religious beliefs. 2 – 4 Marital and sexual relations during pregnancy change considerably as a result of several physical and psychological changes. In other words, during transition from the role of a spouse to that of a parent, the relationship between a couple changes.…”

Sexual Activity during Pregnancy in Childbirth and after Childbirth

“…According to the study by Malewitz [18], sexuality in pregnancy to Polish couples means quite a stimulus to search for new ways of pleasing each other in love play. Their research makes it evident that experiencing sexual satisfaction by pregnant women improves their self-esteem, facilitates mutual relationship between partners and tightens the marital bond [18].…”

“…Sometimes couples are not aware of alterations in sexual functioning in pregnancy and might be frightened or having a hard time adapting to changes. Many studies exploring sexual functions of pregnant women [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] identified that couples do not receive adequate (if any) information about changes in their sexual functioning. Women or couples are also not always comfortable in raising sexual concerns [21].…”