Sexual Function of Women with and without Pregnancy-Related Pelvic Girdle Pain and its Relationship with Physical Activity, Kinesiophobia and Body Image: A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study

• Published in: Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) Calif.), 2024-10, Vol.31 (10), p.3122-3131
• Main Authors: Yenişehir, Semiha, Karakaya, İlkim Çıtak, Özbey, Gürkan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Body Image - psychology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Embryology; Exercise - psychology; Female; Humans; Kinesiophobia; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Obstetrics/Perinatology/Midwifery; Pain Measurement; Pelvic Girdle Pain - psychology; Phobic Disorders - psychology; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications - psychology; Pregnancy: Original; Pregnancy: Original Article; Reproductive Medicine; Sexual Behavior - physiology; Sexual Behavior - psychology; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1933-7191; 1933-7205; 1933-7205
• DOI: 10.1007/s43032-024-01644-2

The aim of this study was to compare the sexual function of women with and without pregnancy-related PGP, and to investigate its relationship with physical activity (PA), kinesiophobia, and body image (BI). Demographic characteristics, sexual function (Pregnancy Sexual Response Inventory), PA (Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire), kinesiophobia (Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale), and BI (Body Image in Pregnancy Scale) of 125 pregnant women were recorded. In the PGP group ( n  = 46), visual analogue scales were used to assess the pain intensity during resting and sexual activity, and Pelvic Girdle Questionnaire was used to evaluate the activity limitation. Although total sexual function and BI scores of the groups were similar (p > 0.05), dyspareunia during pregnancy and level of kinesiophobia were higher, and energy expenditure during moderate-intensity PA was lower in pregnant women with PGP ( p