Male perception of sexual activity in the gestational period

Objective: To describe men’s perception of the sexual activity during the gestational period, in the context of the daily life experienced with their pregnant partners. Methods: This is a descriptive study with a qualitative approach. The study included 10 spouses of pregnant women attended to at Basic Health Units in the city of Juazeiro do Norte, Ceará, Brazil. Data was collected between September and October 2015, through a semi-structured interview and evaluated through the systematic technique of content analysis, and analyzed in light of the pertinent literature. Results: The majority of interviewees belonged to the age group between 24 and 29 years, attended high school and were married. For the study participants, when it comes to sexuality, some understand it as something beyond sexual intercourse, whereas, for others, sexuality is related only to intercourse. As for sexual activity, changes were identified as a result of pregnancy, although, for some, the practice remained unchanged. Myths associated with the hypothesis of sex being harmful to gestation were discarded. Conclusion: Sexual activity may undergo changes deriving from gestation, which depend, in addition to the biological changes resulting from the gestational period, on symbologies and social constructs that dictate values and norms regarding the maintenance or not of the sexual intercourse during pregnancy.