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Chapter 3 - Physiology of Pregnancy As Related to Sex

from Section 1 - General Issues

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 November 2022

By
Silvia Barras Bermejo  and
Pablo Tobías González
Edited by
Dan Farine  and
Pablo Tobías González
Dan Farine
Affiliation:
Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto
Pablo Tobías González
Affiliation:
Hospital Universitario Infanta Cristina de Parla, Madrid
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Summary

Throughout the three trimesters of pregnancy, there is a remarkable adaptation of the whole body to accommodate the growing uterus and fetus, as well as upcoming labor and delivery. Most of these physiological changes gradually regress over the postpartum, returning to prepregnancy levels from a few weeks up to 6 months later. The changes that occur in pregnancy have an important impact on a woman’s sexual functioning (desire, arousal, orgasm, sexual satisfaction). Despite the implications of these physiological changes during pregnancy, which affect intimacy and sexual function, these are seldom discussed by health professionals and care providers. The adjustments and changes in different systems throughout the pregnancy are explained in this chapter, focusing on those with implications for sexual function and the mechanisms behind them.

Keywords

pregnancysexual activityphysiological adaptationsexual intercoursephysiological sexual dysfunction
Type
Chapter
Information
Sex and Pregnancy
From Evidence-Based Medicine to Dr Google
 , pp. 15 - 22
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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