By David Allsop
This blog is a summary of our published article:
Allsop, D. B., Huberman, J. S., Cohen, E., Bagnell, K. B., Péloquin, K., Cockwell, H., & Rosen, N. O. (2023). What does a pregnancy loss mean for sex? Comparing sexual well-being between couples with and without a recent loss. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 53, 423–438. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-023-02697-1
Pregnancy loss is common, affecting 1 in 4 women during their lives [1]. Although pregnancy loss includes many mental and physical challenges, it is unclear whether it is linked to lower quality sexual well-being (defined as the emotional and mental evaluation of one’s sexual life). Outside of pregnancy loss, it is known that people who struggle with sexual well-being are more likely to have difficulties with their health and relationships with a romantic partner [2; 3], such as poorer mental health and lower relationship satisfaction. Knowing how much people struggle with sexual well-being after a pregnancy loss, if at all, would inform couples and healthcare providers expectations and efforts when addressing potential sexual difficulties during this time.
Photo by David Cajilima on Unsplash
What did we want to know?
We wanted to know if couples who had a recent pregnancy loss reported lower levels of sexual well-being than couples who had never experienced a pregnancy loss. We also wanted to know if there were differences in sexual well-being between both members of a couple who had a recent pregnancy loss.
What did we do?
We asked 103 couples who experienced a pregnancy loss in the last 4 months questions about five areas of their sexual well-being in an online survey. Both members of the couple answered the questions separately from their partner. On average, couples completed their surveys 10 weeks after their losses, and just over half of couples were experiencing their first pregnancy loss. A control group of 120 couples who had never had a pregnancy loss were asked the same questions about sexual well-being. We compared the levels of sexual well-being between the two groups and between members of each couple.
What did we find?
We found differences in satisfaction with sex:
- Women and gender diverse individuals (e.g., non-binary) who were pregnant when a pregnancy loss occurred reported lower levels of satisfaction with sex than individuals assigned female at birth in the control group
- Men, women, and gender diverse individuals who were not pregnant when a pregnancy loss occurred also reported lower levels of satisfaction with sex than partners in the control group
We found differences in desire for sex:
- Women and gender diverse individuals who were pregnant when a pregnancy loss occurred reported lower levels of desire for sex than their own partners (i.e., men, women, and gender diverse individuals who were not pregnant at the time of the loss)
- This difference in desire for sex between couple members was not found in the control group
We found differences in worries about sex:
- Men, women, and gender diverse individuals who were not pregnant when a pregnancy loss occurred reported lower levels of worries about sex than partners in the control group
We did not find any differences between groups or between members of a couple in problems with sexual functioning (e.g., pain, struggles with arousal, vaginal lubrication or erectile difficulties) or how often sexual activity happens.
Photo by racjunior on Pixabay
What does this mean?
Generally speaking, couples are at risk of having lower levels of satisfaction with sex and a greater discrepancy in desire for sexual activity between couple members at about 10 weeks post-loss. Fortunately, on average, not all areas of sexual well-being seem to be at risk at this time, including worries about sex, sexual functioning, and how often sexual activity happens. Couples facing pregnancy loss can find comfort knowing that there are others like them who face difficulties with sexual well-being. Those facing pregnancy loss can reach out to their partner with patience and compassion to talk about ways to support one another’s sexual well-being. They can also find help through support groups, doctors, and therapists. As detailed in recent recommendations for treatment [4], early after a pregnancy loss, healthcare professionals should discuss with couples the levels of sexual difficulties they may be experiencing, taking care to affirm rather than invalidate a couple’s experiences.
References
[1] Diamond, D. J., & Diamond, M. O. (2016). Understanding and treating the psychosocial consequences of pregnancy loss. In A. Wenzel (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of perinatal psychology (pp. 487-523). Oxford University Press.
[2] Diamond, L. M., & Huebner, D. M. (2012). Is good sex good for you? Rethinking sexuality and health. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 6(1), 54-69. https://doi.org/fx94zz
[3] Impett, E. A., Muise, A., & Peragine, D. (2014). Sexuality in the context of relationships. In D. L. Tolman, L. M. Diamond, J. A. Bauermeister, W. H. George, J. G. Pfaus, & L. M. Ward (Eds.), Apa handbook of sexuality and psychology, vol. 1: Person-based approaches. (pp. 269-315). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10/kzrp
[4] Allsop, D. B., & Rosen, N. O. (2024). Addressing the sexual difficulties of pregnancy loss for couples in clinical care and research. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 21(6), 507-508. https://doi.org/10.1093/jsxmed/qdae044
