Negative attitudes and misconceptions about sexual intercourse during pregnancy

The fears, concerns, and negative attitudes of pregnant women towards sex during pregnancy can have a negative impact on the sexual relationship and sexual performance of couples. Available research shows that most sexual problems during this period are rooted in the couple’s wrong attitudes, misconceptions, and misunderstandings about the physical and emotional changes during pregnancy. 

Sexual and marital relations are known to change during pregnancy due to numerous physical and psychological transformations. Physiological and anatomical changes such as breast tenderness or enlargement of the abdomen can decrease sexual desire. Psychological factors such as changes in women’s mental body image, loss of physical attraction to the partner, and fear of adverse situations such as abortion, fetal injury, and premature labor also affect sexual intercourse. 

Negative feelings about sexual intercourse during pregnancy can either deepen the marital relationship or lead to a couple’s separation. On the other hand, according to some research studies, if couples have pleasurable sexual intercourse during pregnancy, their communication and behaviors will improve after the infant’s birth.

Although pregnancy is an important stage in women’s lives and women need more emotional support during this period, a couple’s inadequate information about sexual intercourse during pregnancy and their negative attitude towards sexual issues in this period can cause some problems. These problems include reduced intimacy, reduced sexual intercourse, and reduced libido between the couple. This may result in extramarital relations during pregnancy or sexual deviation such as masturbation, oral sex, and anal sex.

Sexual health education generally plays a positive role in preventing some of the negative consequences of sexual activity during pregnancy and can produce positive results such as a stronger marital relationship, pleasurable sexual relations, and improved confidence and conscious decision-making on both personal and interpersonal levels. Since sexual desire and performance are part of pregnant women’s health, efforts should be made to correct the negative attitudes towards sex during pregnancy.

The author is; Lilian Nuwabaine Luyima; BSc Nurse & MSN-Midwife & Women’s’ Health Specialist working with Aga Khan University as the CPD Coordinator & is the Heroes in Health Award Winner-Midwife of the year 2021