Abstract
Objective: The advisability of sexual activity during pregnancy has been controversial for a long time. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between sexual activity and uterine contractility in the home environment. Design, Setting, Participants: We carried out a prospective cohort study of uterine contractions in low-risk pregnant women. The cohort consisted of 70 women who wore an ambulatory tocodynamometer continuously for three 72-hour periods, four weeks apart, at different gestational ages. Participants completed a diary questionnaire recording physical activities, including sexual activity, during each monitoring period. Results: Women who reported sexual activity in the evening or night experienced significantly increased nocturnal uterine contractions compared with women who did not report sexual activity. In this study, sexual activity during the evening or night appears to accentuate the normal diurnal variation in uterine contractions. Conclusions: This cohort study represents one of the first investigations of uterine contractility within the setting of the normal events of daily living. Although this study cannot address the issue of whether sexual activity precipitates preterm labor, there does appear to be a relationship between uterine contractions and nocturnal sexual activity as experienced in the home environment. The clinical implications of this finding should be evaluated in future studies.
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