Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States.
Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States; Department of Sociology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States.
J Sex Med. 2022 Oct;19(10):1524-1535. doi: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2022.07.006. Epub 2022 Aug 8.
Significant differences in sexual frequency during pregnancy have been documented in cross-sectional and once-per-trimester longitudinal studies, with the highest sexual frequency in the first trimester and the lowest in the third trimester. However, changes in sexual frequency may be more complex than these comparisons suggest; patterns of sexual frequency have not been assessed using frequent (e.g., weekly) assessments throughout a woman's pregnancy.
To assess changes in the frequency of sexual intercourse across all weeks of pregnancy.
We used data from 237 women (54% White; 43% Black) who reported a pregnancy during the Relationship Dynamics and Social Life (RDSL) study. RDSL was based on a random population-based sample of 992 women in the United States, aged 18 or 19, who completed a baseline interview and brief weekly follow-up surveys for 2.5 years. We used generalized multilevel modeling to fit and compare linear, quadratic, and piecewise (via b-splines) models.
Weekly probability of sexual intercourse.
Sexual intercourse frequency clearly declined across pregnancy, yet the pattern followed the course of common pregnancy symptomology (i.e., nausea, fatigue) more closely than trimester cutoffs. The best fitting model demonstrated that the probability of sexual intercourse declined sharply (∼18% each week) between conception and 11 weeks, subsequently increased by ∼3% each week between weeks 11 and 21, and then declined steadily (∼6% each week) through the end of pregnancy.
Documenting more precise patterns of change in sexual frequency during pregnancy provides important information to many who wish to maintain sexual intimacy while pregnant, or to those who would otherwise find the sexual disruptions particularly challenging.
STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: This study is the first to document changes in sexual intercourse frequency throughout all weeks of pregnancy as they naturally occurred among a representative sample of young women. The focus on sexual intercourse limits the findings to only one aspect of human sexuality. The narrow age range of the sample precludes generalization to all pregnant women.
Changes in sexual frequency are more complex than the general declines suggested by other studies; within-trimester patterns reveal the shortcomings in understanding sexual behavior changes when aggregated by trimester, such as severely underestimating the degree of fluctuation in the first trimester. Pregnancy symptomology may be most favorable to intercourse towards the end of the first and beginning of second trimesters, and least favorable near the end of the pregnancy. Shari M. Blumenstock, Jennifer S. Barber. Sexual Intercourse Frequency During Pregnancy: Weekly Surveys Among 237 Young Women From A Random Population-Based Sample. J Sex Med 2022;19:1524-1535.
横断面和每 trimester 纵向研究都记录了怀孕期间性频率的显著差异，性频率在孕早期最高，在孕晚期最低。然而，性频率的变化可能比这些比较所表明的更为复杂；性频率模式尚未通过整个孕期的频繁（例如每周）评估来评估。
评估整个孕期性交频率的变化。
我们使用了来自 237 名女性（54%为白人；43%为黑人）的数据，这些女性在关系动态和社会生活（RDSL）研究期间报告了怀孕。RDSL 是基于美国 992 名年龄在 18 或 19 岁的随机人群的样本，她们完成了基线访谈，并在 2.5 年内进行了简短的每周随访调查。我们使用广义多层模型来拟合和比较线性、二次和分段（通过 b 样条）模型。
每周性交的概率。
性频率在整个孕期明显下降，但模式更接近常见的妊娠症状学（即恶心、疲劳），而不是 trimester 截止点。拟合最好的模型表明，受孕后 11 周内，性交的概率急剧下降（每周约 18%），随后每周增加约 3%，然后在整个孕期稳步下降（每周约 6%）。
记录怀孕期间性频率变化的更精确模式为许多希望在怀孕期间保持性亲密的人提供了重要信息，或者为那些发现性干扰特别具有挑战性的人提供了重要信息。
本研究首次在代表性年轻女性样本中记录了整个孕期性交频率的变化，这是此类研究中的首次。关注性交将研究结果仅限于人类性行为的一个方面。样本的年龄范围狭窄，不能推广到所有孕妇。
性频率的变化比其他研究表明的一般下降更为复杂；trimester 内的模式揭示了在按 trimester 聚合时理解性行为变化的不足之处，例如严重低估了第一 trimester 内的波动程度。妊娠症状可能最有利于第一和第二 trimester 末和开始时的性交，而最不利于妊娠末期的性交。Shari M. Blumenstock，Jennifer S. Barber。怀孕期间的性交频率：来自随机人群样本的 237 名年轻女性的每周调查。J 性医学 2022；19:1524-1535。
