Sexual dysfnction in Iranian pregnant women

Abstract

Background: Sexuality is an important part of women’s health,\nquality of life, and general well-being. There are many factors\ninfluencing the female sexual function, including psychological,\nphysiological, couple relationship, and socio-cultural factors.\nPregnancy plays an important role in the sexual function and behavior\nof women. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the sexual function\nand determine the prevalence of sexual dysfunction among women during\npregnancy. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was\nconducted on 257 healthy pregnant women aging between 18-40 years who\nhad attended the antenatal clinic, Paymaneh Hospital, Jahrom, Iran\nbetween April and October 2011 Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI)\nquestionnaire was used for assessing the sexual function Results: The\nmean age of the participants was reported as 26.45±4.49 years. In\naddition, 143, 69, and 45 subjects were in their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd\ntrimesters, respectively. Comparison of the second and the third\ntrimesters revealed a significant difference in the scores of all FSFI\ndomains and the mean total FSFI score was reported as 19.9±22.45.\nAmong the study subjects, 197 ones (79.1%) had sexual dysfunction (FSFI\nscore <26.5), while only 52 (20.9%) had normal sexual function (FSFI\nscore ≥26.5). The sexual dysfunction among pregnant women was\nrated as 23.4%, 30.5%, and 46.2% in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimesters,\nrespectively. Conclusion: The prevalence of sexual dysfunction is high\nduring pregnancy and reaches higher levels in the third trimester.\nTherefore, pregnant women and their partners need counseling about\nphysical and psychological changes in pregnancy.