Is sex dangerous in the third trimester of pregnancy: dispelling the myths
Some doctors strongly advise pregnant women to abstain from sex, especially during the third trimester of pregnancy. In their opinion, this is necessary to reduce the risk of premature birth. But is sex later in life really dangerous? As for research in this area, it is far from clear.
Contents of the article:
Some findings suggest that sexual intercourse late in pregnancy may actually lead to premature birth. Other indicators indicate that there is no relationship between these two indicators. What should future parents do?
Prematurity and its consequences
The gestation period is usually around 40 weeks. Doctors define prematurity as giving birth more than three weeks before your expected due date or before 37 weeks.
Prematurity has a negative impact on the baby. Major short-term effects include infections, anemia, jaundice, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), breathing problems, heart defects, cerebral hemorrhage and gastrointestinal problems.
Long-term risks include cerebral palsy, mental retardation, hearing, vision and dental problems.
Negative conditions leading to prematurity
On the mother”s side, risk factors that can lead to preterm birth include diabetes, smoking, poor diet, previous abortions, high blood pressure, physical trauma, infections, stress, IVF and lack of time to recover from a previous pregnancy. And, of course, sex in late pregnancy.
Many of these risk factors are beyond a woman”s control. For this reason, doctors urge pregnant women to refrain from behaviors that are within their control. For example, do not smoke, do not eat, or abstain from intimate relationships.
Read also: Is it possible to have sex during pregnancy and is it dangerous?
Does this harm the baby? What sexual practices should I be wary of? In this article you will find answers to these and other questions. And if not.
What the Research Says
Is sex dangerous for pregnant women? | Is there a danger of sex during pregnancy?
If we look at statistical studies on this topic, about six of them show no significant association between gender and preterm birth in late pregnancy. In four of them, the data support the connection.
Let”s look at some studies showing that sex is never dangerous for a child (and even more informative): see:
- Data from Malaysian scientists. 108 healthy pregnant women were told to have as much sex as they wanted. 102 were asked to abstain. There was no difference in the rate of preterm birth between the two groups.
- Scientists from the University of Texas followed the pregnancies of 187 women who had a history of preterm birth. During the second pregnancy, having sex did not affect the risk of preterm birth.
- The study by scientists from the University of Pittsburgh involved 341 women. The organizers recorded information about all risk factors. It was found that gender does not affect the duration of labor.
- Researchers at the University of Colorado followed 126 pregnant African-American teenage girls. Gender was not associated with prematurity.
- In a large study conducted by the US National Institutes of Health, researchers found that having sex in the third trimester of pregnancy reduces the risk of prematurity. However, only if the woman does not have a vaginal infection (for example, Trichomonas or Mycoplasma).
- Researchers from the National Institutes of Health (North Carolina, USA) surveyed 596 women. They found that sex during pregnancy was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of prematurity.
Better to play it safe: arguments against
Some evidence supports abstaining from alcohol.
- Researchers at the University of Chicago have found that sex during pregnancy increases the risk of preterm birth.
- Scientists from Harvard University studied the lifestyle of 50 women who had premature birth. They found that sex late in pregnancy significantly increases the risk of prematurity.
- In China, exactly the same number of pregnant women became mothers according to the calendar as 1, 391 women gave birth earlier. Having sex late in pregnancy has been found to increase the risk of preterm birth.
What should I do?
Based on this information, general conclusions can be drawn. In general, sex is not a risk factor unless the woman has a vaginal infection and the couple avoids the man-on-top position. The estimated risk is 8:2.
However, it is not yet possible to completely eliminate the risk to the child. Therefore, future parents should carefully study other existing risk factors. The more other negative conditions there are, the more attention should be paid to the issue of sexual intimacy.
