Frequency and Factors Associated with Sexual Response During Pregnancy

Abstract

Background: During pregnancy, the woman’s body undergoes deep biopsychosocial and hormonal changes, which can lead to the appearance of complications and alterations in sexual response. Objective: To determine the frequency and factors associated with alterations in sexual response during pregnancy in the Gynecology service of the Carlos Elizalde Health Center, in Cuenca, year 2021. Methods: Observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study. The sample was 285 pregnant women. The Pregnancy Sexual Response Inventory (PSRI) was used. Data analysis was performed in SPSS v.25 software; descriptive statistics were presented in frequencies and percentages; the association was analyzed by significant chi-square for 0.05. Results: 76.5% are between 20 and 34 years old; they are married or in a stable union; 61.4% are high school graduates; 90.2%, Catholic. Very good sexual response was 30.9% before pregnancy, decreasing to 24.9% during pregnancy, in which poor sexual response was more frequent, with 25.6%. There was a significant change in all sexual response variables during pregnancy (p<0.05) and there is an association with gestational age, tobacco and illicit drug use, and pregnancy planning. Conclusion: The sexual response of pregnant women is altered by pregnancy, decreasing as it progresses until the third trimester.