Sexuality during pregnancy and early puerperium and its perception by the pregnant and puerperal woman

The pattern of sexuality during the third trimester of pregnancy and early puerperium were investigated prospectively in 342 white women attending the Maternity section of the J. G. Strijdom Hospital, in Johannesburg. The data were compared to the immediate prepregnant period, information that was retrospectively obtained before the 12th week of gestation. The response rate was 81.6% during the third trimester of pregnancy (between 30 and 40 weeks gestation) and 53.4% at the 6-week postpartum check up visit. Sexual enjoyment, libido, orgasm and frequency of sexual intercourse all decreased significantly late in pregnancy and during the early puerperium, when compared to the immediate prepregnant period. The magnitude of the decrease, in the present study, ranged from 9.03 to 16.51% late in pregnancy and 3.8 to 11.68% during the early puerperium. The pregnant and puerperal women perceived acutely the change in their sexual life observed during the investigated periods. The multivariate analysis performed allows us to conclude that marital status, age and parity did not influence the pattern of sexuality found in the late pregnancy and early puerperium.