Sexual activity based fears during pregnancy, sexual function and dyadic adjustment in couples who are expecting their first child

Abstract

Purpose: Sexual activity based fears during pregnancy are common, but very few studies have examined their association with relationship variables. Secondary analysis of associations between these fears during pregnancy and both partners’ sexual function and dyadic adjustment were conducted.

Materials and Methods: A sample of 67 French-Canadian first-time parenting couples living in Ontario completed online questionnaires on sexual activity based fears, sexual function, and dyadic adjustment as experienced during pregnancy.

Results: While one-third of participants reported no fears, other couples experienced one to six fears, the two most common fears among partners being inducing labor and causing a miscarriage. Dyadic path analyses supported indirect associations between sexual activity based fears and lower dyadic adjustment via poorer sexual function. During pregnancy, these fears in women and men are associated with poorer dyadic adjustment in both partners through the women’s poorer sexual function.

Conclusion: These findings suggest including prenatal sexual activity based fears in perinatal sexuality counseling, education, and interventions.

Keywords:

• Parenting couple
• pregnancy
• sexual fears
• sexual function
• dyadic adjustment

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the couples who participated in this study. They would also like to extend their gratitude to everybody who assisted them throughout the entire project, from Ottawa, Ontario, to Sherbrooke, Québec.

Disclosure statement

None of the authors have a conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported by doctoral grants (offered to the first author) from: Scholarship from University of Ottawa Entrance and Excellence Scholarship; Scholarship from Réseau de recherche appliquée sur la santé des francophones de l’Ontario; Ontario Graduate Scholarship; Scholarship from Institut de Recherche de l’Hôpital Montfort; and Scholarship from Consortium National de Formation en Santé. This project was also supported by a postdoctoral grant from the Fonds de Recherche en Santé du Québec.