The relationship between sexual function and quality of life of pregnant women in different trimesters of pregnancy

Although pregnancy is a pleasant period for most women, it is often a stressful period with physiological and psychological changes. Physical health and mental health are two general dimensions of quality of life. It seems that the quality of life has an effect on the sexual function of pregnant women. Therefore, this study was conducted with aim to compare the relationship between sexual function and the quality of life of pregnant women in different trimesters of pregnancy.

This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2019 on 360 pregnant women (120 pregnant women in each trimester) referring to the pregnancy care clinic of Rasht public Hospitals. The tools were questionnaires of demographic characteristics, FSFI sexual function, and quality of life SF-36. Data analysis was done using SPSS statistical software (version 23) and t-test, Chi-square, ANOVA and Pearson's correlation coefficient. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The mean score of the total sexual function of the studied subjects was 18.64 ± 10.05. Sexual dysfunction was seen in 86.4% of the samples. The scores of sexual functions in the first to third trimester of pregnancy were 23.92 ± 7.79, 18.84 ± 8.84, and 13.17 ± 10.37, respectively. It showed a statistically significant difference between the total score and the scores of the dimensions of sexual function with trimesters of pregnancy (p<0.001). The quality of life of the groups with and without sexual dysfunction had statistically significant differences in the two main dimensions of physical health and mental health (p<0.001). The mean scores of physical health and mental health were 54.82 ± 18.73 and 60.18 ± 17.59, respectively. Also, satisfaction (r=0.162, p=0.002) and pain (r=0.108, p=0.041) had a positive correlation with physical health. The total score of sexual function (r=0.158 and p=0.003) had a positive correlation with mental health. Lubrication (r=0.126, p=0.017), orgasm (r=0.146, p=0.006), satisfaction (r=0.247, p=0.0001), pain (r=0.165, p=0.002) and the total score of sexual function (r=0.158, p=0.003) were positively correlated with mental health.

The rate of sexual dysfunction increases with increasing gestational age. Also, quality of life with the highest mean score of mental health was related to the first trimester and the highest mean score of physical health was in the third trimester of pregnancy. Sexual function had a positive correlation with the mental health dimension of quality of life.