Fear-based reasons for not engaging in sexual activity during pregnancy: associations with sexual and relationship well-being

Abstract

Objective: Pregnant women consistently report fears that sexual activity could harm their pregnancy. Little is known, however, about the degree to which women report these fears as reasons for not having sex during pregnancy and whether these fears relate to women’s well-being. The aims of this study were to assess the importance of women’s fears of sexual activity harming the pregnancy in their decision not to engage in sex during pregnancy, and the associations between these fears and sexual and relationship well-being.

Methods: Pregnant women (N = 261) were recruited online to complete a survey that included a novel scale of fear-based reasons for not engaging in sexual activity during pregnancy and validated measures of sexual functioning, sexual satisfaction, sexual distress and relationship satisfaction.

Results: Over half of the women (58.6%) reported at least one fear as a reason for not engaging in sexual activity while pregnant, though total fear scores were low. Greater fear-based reasons for not having sex were associated with greater sexual distress but were unrelated to sexual functioning, sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction.

Conclusions: Women who reported higher rates of refraining from sex due to fear that it could harm their pregnancy reported greater sexual distress, but not lower sexual functioning or sexual and relationship satisfaction. Results suggest that interventions focused on minimizing fears of sexual activity during pregnancy may not be essential for promoting women’s broader sexual and relationship well-being in pregnancy, but may help to reduce women’s global feelings of worry and anxiety about their sexual relationship.

Keywords:

• Pregnancy
• women’s sexuality
• psychological well-being

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the women who participated in this study.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Current knowledge on the subject

• Fears that sexual activity could harm the pregnancy are reported by women cross culturally.

• These fears may be a reason women refrain from sex during pregnancy.

• For the majority of women, these fears are unnecessary as sexual activity is safe in low-risk pregnancies.

What this study adds

• Fears of sexual activity harming the pregnancy were endorsed by over half of women but were of low importance in women’s decision not to engage in sex.

• Fear-based reasons for not engaging in sexual activity were associated with women’s greater sexual distress but were unrelated to women’s broader sexual and relationship well-being.

• Interventions focused on fears of sexual activity may help to reduce women’s feelings of anxiety about their sexual relationship though may not be essential for promoting broader sexual and relationship well-being during pregnancy.

Additional information

Funding

Sarah A. Vannier was supported by post-doctoral awards from the IWK Health Centre and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. This research was supported by an operating grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research [(CIHR) RNS-135870] and an establishment grant from the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation [(NSHRF) 8903] awarded to Natalie O. Rosen.