Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Department of Psychology, Queens University, Ontario, Canada.
J Sex Med. 2019 Dec;16(12):1966-1977. doi: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2019.09.011. Epub 2019 Oct 21.
Pain during vaginal intercourse in pregnancy has largely been ignored despite physiological and psychological components of pregnancy that may be associated with its onset and persistence.
The current study aimed to determine the prevalence and the characteristics of clinically significant pain during intercourse in the second (18-24 weeks) and third (32-36 weeks) trimesters of pregnancy.
Pregnant women (N = 501) recruited from a local women's hospital completed an online survey in the second and third trimesters of their pregnancy regarding the presence, intensity, and characteristics of pain during intercourse. Women with clinically significant pain (ie, pain greater than or equal to 4 of 10 on a numerical rating scale) were grouped according to whether the pain was resolved, persistent, or new onset across the 2 pregnancy time points. Following guidelines outlined by the Initiative on Methods, Measurement, and Pain Assessment in Clinical Trials (IMMPACT), we conducted a descriptive analysis assessing the intensity and characteristics (eg, quality, onset, degree of improvement over time, and treatment strategies utilized) of clinically significant pain during intercourse.
The main outcome measures in this study were the prevalence, intensity, and characteristics of clinically significant pain during intercourse.
Overall, 21% of pregnant women (106/501) reported clinically significant pain during intercourse. We found that 22% (N = 16/106) of women who had this pain at 20 weeks reported that it had resolved at 34 weeks, 33% (40/106) reported persistent pain at both time points, and 46% (50/106) reported new onset of pain during intercourse at 34 weeks. The majority of women across all pain groups reported that the pain began during pregnancy and remained at the same intensity. Most women reported not using any pain management strategies to cope with their pain.
One in 5 women experienced clinically significant pain during intercourse in pregnancy, with the majority of women not seeking treatment.
STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: This study is the first to comprehensively assess and describe the prevalence and characteristics of clinically significant pain during intercourse across 2 time points in pregnancy using IMMPACT guidelines. Small sample sizes in our pain groups may limit the generalizability of pain characteristics.
Findings suggest that many pregnant women in this study experienced significant pain during intercourse in pregnancy. Understanding the characteristics of this pain may improve its identification by health care providers and inform better prevention and treatment recommendations. Rossi MA, Mooney KM, Binik YM, et al. A Descriptive and Longitudinal Analysis of Pain During Intercourse in Pregnancy. J Sex Med 2019;16:1966-1977.
尽管妊娠的生理和心理因素可能与性交疼痛的发生和持续有关，但怀孕期间的性交疼痛在很大程度上仍被忽视。
本研究旨在确定妊娠第二（18-24 周）和第三（32-36 周）孕期中临床显著性交疼痛的发生率和特点。
招募自当地一家妇女医院的 501 名孕妇在妊娠第二和第三孕期完成了一项在线调查，内容涉及性交时疼痛的存在、强度和特征。根据数字评分量表（NRS）上疼痛评分大于或等于 4 的疼痛程度，将有临床显著疼痛（即疼痛大于或等于 4/10）的孕妇分为疼痛缓解、持续存在或新出现的三组。根据临床试验方法、测量和疼痛评估倡议（IMMPACT）制定的指南，我们进行了描述性分析，评估了临床显著性交疼痛的强度和特征（如质量、发作、随时间的改善程度以及所采用的治疗策略）。
本研究的主要观察指标为临床显著性交疼痛的发生率、强度和特征。
总体而言，21%（106/501）的孕妇报告有临床显著的性交疼痛。我们发现，20 周时有此疼痛的 22%（16/106）的孕妇在 34 周时疼痛已缓解，33%（40/106）的孕妇在两个时间点都有持续的疼痛，46%（50/106）的孕妇在 34 周时新出现性交疼痛。在所有疼痛组中，大多数女性报告疼痛始于妊娠期间，且疼痛强度保持不变。大多数女性报告未使用任何疼痛管理策略来缓解疼痛。
每 5 名孕妇中就有 1 名在妊娠期间经历了临床显著的性交疼痛，而大多数孕妇并未寻求治疗。
本研究首次使用 IMMPACT 指南全面评估和描述了妊娠期间 2 个时间点的临床显著性交疼痛的发生率和特征。我们的疼痛组中样本量较小，可能限制了疼痛特征的普遍性。
研究结果表明，本研究中许多孕妇在妊娠期间经历了明显的性交疼痛。了解这种疼痛的特征可能有助于卫生保健提供者更好地识别它，并为预防和治疗提供更好的建议。
