Factors associated with sexual dysfunction in third-trimester pregnant women
Keywords:
physiological sexual dysfunction, pregnancy, orgasm, third trimester of pregnancyAbstract
Introduction: Third-trimester pregnant women present various factors that predispose them to suffer from sexual dysfunction.
Objective: To identify factors associated with sexual dysfunction in pregnant women attending a Peruvian public hospital.
Methods: An observational, analytical, prospective, cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of 105 third-trimester pregnant women treated at the obstetrics consultation of the National Hospital Sergio E. Bernales in October 2024. The instruments used were the Female Sexual Function Index and a questionnaire to identify factors associated with sexual dysfunction in pregnant women. Bivariate statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test, followed by multivariate analysis of significant factors using logistic regression, calculating odd ratios and 95% confidence intervals.
Results: The prevalence of sexual dysfunction in the third trimester was 77.1%. The arousal and desire domains had lower means (2.711 and 2.720, respectively); while satisfaction was more highly rated (4.141). Risk factors significantly associated with sexual dysfunction were age 18 to 29 years (p=0.019); the belief of harming the baby (p=0.021) or damaging the pregnancy (p=0.035), and feeling rejection toward the partner (p=0.006); however, only age and rejection toward the partner were significant in the multivariate analysis.
Conclusions: Age and rejection toward the partner are factors significantly associated with sexual dysfunction in pregnant women during the third trimester.
Downloads
References
1. World Health Organization. Sexual health [Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2002 [citado 22/01/2025]. Disponible en: https://www.who.int/health-topics/sexual-health
2. Panea Pizarro I, Domínguez Martin AT, Barragán Prieto V, et al. Comportamiento y actitud frente a la sexualidad de la mujer embarazada durante el último trimestre. Estudio fenomenológico. Aten Primaria. 2019;51(3):127-34. DOI: 10.1016/j.aprim.2018.02.003.
3. Carta Peña M, González Blanco M. Función y patrón sexual: características y evolución durante el embarazo. Rev Obstet Ginecol Venez [Internet]. 2016 [citado 22/01/2025];76(3):232-47. Disponible en: http://ve.scielo.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0048-77322016000400003&lng=es
4. Maiellano B. Interpretation of changes in a woman's sexual behavior during pregnancy. JONNPR. 2020;5(10):1106-17. DOI: 10.19230/jonnpr.3673.
5. Kulhawik R, Zborowska K, Grabarek BO, et al. Changes in the Sexual Behavior of Partners in Each Trimester of Pregnancy in Otwock in Polish Couples. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(5):2921. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19052921.
6. García Duarte S, Nievas Soriano BJ, Fischer Suárez N, et al. Quality of sexuality during pregnancy, we must do something—survey study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(2):965. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20020965.
7. Mancilla Amador A, de la Torre y Fernández P. Disfunciones sexuales femeninas: Intervención y tratamiento. Ginecol Obstet Mex [Internet]. 2010 [citado 22/01/2025];78(1):391-413. Disponible en: https://www.medigraphic.com/cgi-bin/new/resumen.cgi?IDARTICULO=27163
8. Taştekin Ouyaba A, Infal Kesim S. The prevalence of sexual dysfunctions in pregnant women and the correlated factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sex Med. 2023;20(4):475-87. DOI: 10.1093/jsxmed/qdad002.
9. Amorim Lessa PR, Pereira Calou CG, Gomes Ribeiro S, et al. Sexualidade em gestantes e fatores de risco associados. Rev Bras Enferm [Internet]. 2020 [citado 22/01/2025];73(supl 4):1-7. Disponible en: https://www.scielo.br/j/reben/a/bFjK4GHj8tTnRtvMLJGvM7n/?format=pdf&lang=pt
10. Osorio Cerda L, Ortiz Lorca A, Muñoz Herrera P. Prevalencia de incontinencia urinaria y disfunción sexual en embarazadas atendidas en un Centro de Salud Familiar de Santiago de Chile. Rev Cuban Obstet Ginecol [Internet]. 2018 [citado 22/01/2025];44(1):1-11. Disponible en: http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0138-600X2018000100008&lng=es
11. Rivera Felix LM, López Sánchez M, Quiñones Colchado ER, et al. Disfunción sexual femenina y factores que influyen durante la gestación. Una revisión sistemática en Sudamérica y Asia en la última década. Rev Fac Cien Med Univ Nac Cordoba. 2022;79(4):374-8. DOI: 10.31053/1853.0605.v79.n4.30907.
12. Morán Bayón Á, López Sosa C, Hernández Correa C. ¿Ha variado la sexualidad en el embarazo? Generación baby boom versus generación millennial. Semergen. 2022;48(2):245-51. DOI: 10.1016/J.SEMERG.2022.01.008.
13. Del Río Olvera FJ, Sánchez-Sandoval Y, García-Rojas AD, et al. The Prevalence of the Risk of Sexual Dysfunction in the First and Third Trimesters of Pregnancy in a Sample of Spanish Women. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(5):3955. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20053955.
14. Aksoy Derya Y, Gök Uğur H, Özşahin Z. Effects of demographic and obstetric variables with body image on sexual dysfunction in pregnancy: A cross-sectional and comparative study. Int J Nurs Pract. 2020;26(3):e12829. DOI: 10.1111/ijn.12829.
15. Rosen R, Brown C, Heiman J, et al. The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI): A Multidimensional Self-Report Instrument for the Assessment of Female Sexual Function. J Sex Marital Ther. 2000;26(2):191-208. DOI: 10.1080/009262300278597.
16. Blümel JE, Binfa L, Cataldo P, et al. Índice de Función Sexual Femenina: Un Test para evaluar la sexualidad de la mujer. Rev chil obstet ginecol. 2004;69(2):118-25. DOI: 10.4067/S0717-75262004000200006.
17. Olivares Noguera E, Montoya Moreno RA, Arteaga Noriega A. Prevalencia de disfunción sexual en gestantes en control prenatal en una institución hospitalaria en Rionegro, Colombia, 2020-2021. Rev Mex Obstet Ginecol. 2021;72(4). DOI: 10.18597/rcog.3761.
18. Jaramillo Saldarraiga MI, Colonia Toro A, Andrea Posada G, et al. Factores asociados a disfunción sexual durante el embarazo: estudio multicéntrico en la ciudad de Medellín. Rev Fac Cienc Salud Univ Cauca. 2021;23(1). DOI: 10.47373/rfcs.2021.v23.1626.
19. Alizadeh S, Riazi H, Alavi-Majd H, et al. Prevalence of female sexual dysfunction during pregnancy in Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office Countries (EMRO): a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2022;35(25):6654-62. DOI: 10.1080/14767058.2021.1919074.
20. Bender S, Sveinsdóttir E, Fridfinnsdóttir H. "You stop thinking about yourself as a woman". An interpretive phenomenological study of the meaning of sexuality for Icelandic women during pregnancy and after birth. Midwifery. 2018;62:14-19. DOI: 10.1016/j.midw.2018.03.009.
21. Gerges S, Obeid S, Hallit S. Associations Between Eating Attitudes, Mental Health, and Sexual Dysfunction during Pregnancy. J Sex Marital Ther. 2022;49(5):517-32. DOI: 10.1080/0092623x.2022.2149937.
22. Iglesias Campos P, Morell-Mengual V, Caballero-Gascón L, et al. Satisfacción sexual femenina: influencia de la edad y variedad de prácticas sexuales. Int J Develop Edu Psy. 2018;1(1):85-92. DOI: 10.17060/ijodaep.2018.n1.v1.1163.
23. Bahrami Vazir E, Mohammad-Alizadeh-Charandabi S, Kamalifard M, et al. The correlation between sexual dysfunction and intimate partner violence in young women during pregnancy. BMC Int Health Hum Rights. 2020;20:24. DOI: 10.1186/s12914-020-00245-9.
24. Hajnasiri H, Moafi F, Nami M, et al. Sexual Dysfunction and its Related Factors Among Pregnant Women Referred to Health Centers in Qazvin, Iran. Asian J Soc Health Behav. 2020;3(1):27-34. DOI: 10.4103/SHB.SHB_5_20.
25. Gutiérrez Luna A, Fuentes Arzate I. Una aproximación a la situación de las mujeres en el Irán contemporáneo: perspectivas locales y globales. Mx Cam Junt. 2021;(13):159-87. DOI: 10.26457/mxcj.v0i13.2975.
26. Mas M. Fisiología de la respuesta sexual femenina: actualización. Rev Int Androl. 2007;5(1):11-21. DOI: 10.1016/S1698-031X(07)74029-3.
27. Karakas L, Azemi A, Simsek SY, et al. Risk factors for sexual dysfunction in pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2021;152(2):226-30. DOI: 10.1002/ijgo.13462.
28. Junqueira Vasconcellos de Oliveira SM, De Souza Caroci A, De Paula Batista Mendes E, et al. Disfunciones del suelo pélvico en mujeres primíparas después del parto. Enferm glob. 2018;17(3). DOI: org/10.6018/eglobal.17.3.292821.
29. Coo Calcagni S, Mira Olivos A, García Valdés MI, et al. Salud mental en madres en el período perinatal. Andes pediatr. 2021;92(5):724-32. DOI: 10.32641/andespediatr.v92i5.3519.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Julia Denisse Melgarejo-Escobar, Judith Josefina Cornejo-Rivera, Emilio Vega-Gonzales
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
All content published in this journal is Open Access, distributed under the terms of the CC BY-NC 4.0 License.
It allows:
- Copy and redistribute published material in any medium or format.
- Adapt the content.
This will be done under the following terms:
- Attribute the authors' credits and indicate whether changes were made, in which case it must be in a reasonable way.
- Non-commercial use.
- Recognize the journal where it is published.
The copyrights of each article are maintained, without restrictions.
