SEXUAL BEHAVIOR DURING PREGNANCY: A DESCRIPTIVE
CORRELATIONAL STUDY AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN
Laurisse Sossah
Adventist University Cosendai
CAMEROON
ABSTRACT
This study investigated the extent of knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors on sexuality
during pregnancy, and the relationship between the cited variables. The descriptive-
correlational study was conducted on 170 pregnant women from the different barangays of
Santa Rosa, Laguna, Philippines. A self-administered anonymous questionnaire divided into
six sections and pertaining to the sexual knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of
women during pregnancy were used. The level of knowledge of the respondents was below
average, the impact of the beliefs related to sexuality during pregnancy was weak and the
respondents in general had a quite positive attitude toward sexuality during pregnancy.
Regarding sexual behavior, there was low sexual desire and a high practice of some non-
coital behavior (kissing and cuddling). The mean of sexual intercourse was below average.
Desire was correlated with attitude and gestational age; non-coital behavior was correlated
with knowledge, attitude, age, and gestational age, while coital behavior was correlated to
knowledge level only. Thus, women with a low level of knowledge on sexuality during
pregnancy, and who apparently develop a negative attitude toward sexuality in pregnancy
should get more attention during antenatal visits, though all pregnant women must be
informed about sexuality during pregnancy.
Keywords: knowledge, beliefs, attitude, sexual behavior, pregnancy.
INTRODUCTION
Pregnancy is such a wonderful experience. It is wonderful in that the mother is willing to put
aside her own interest for the health of her baby. It is the reason why the topic of sexual
behavior during pregnancy is deemed an important topic in the 21st century. However, very
few studies look at the behavioral modification that faces pregnant women as a great issue.
Even the obstetrical books address the problem with a pair of tongs. It seems that sexual
activity and pregnancy should not be put in the same bowl.
Hogan (as cited in Gokyildiz & Kizilkaya, 2005), defines pregnancy as a difficult period of
life for women punctuated by physical and emotional changes that affect theirsexual lives.
Those changes are generally thought to be associated with hormonal alterations that go with
the evolution of pregnancy. There is no evidence however relating hormonal changes that
occur in pregnancy to the sexual behavioral modification (Jurgense, 1985, as cited by Bitzer
& Alder, 2000). It could therefore be non-hormonal factors that are more likely to provoke
such changes in sexual behavior.
Many non-hormonal factors such as emotional, socio-economical, and cultural. Interestingly,
the identity role of the woman, the fact of becoming a mother, the partner’s reaction to
pregnancy, and the woman’s beliefs about sexuality are also included (Hogan as cited in
Gokyidiz & Kizilkaya, 2005). In 1999, Von Sydow adds to the long list of factors
influencing the women’s sexual behavior during pregnancy, the misconceptions regarding the