Sexuality during pregnancy: attitudes, self-efficacy and self-consciousness

Abstract

The study aimed to determine the relationship between sexual self-efficacy and sexual self-consciousness levels and pregnant women’s attitudes toward sexuality. The data of this descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational study were collected from 318 pregnant women between September 2020 and May 2021. A personal information form and the Sexual Self-Efficacy (SSES), Sexual Self-Consciousness (SSCS) Scale, and Attitude toward Sexuality in Pregnancy Scale (AStSdP) were used to collect the data. Six out of ten pregnant women had a positive attitude toward sexuality during pregnancy, and their sexual self-efficacy (26.35 ± 6.71) and sexual self-consciousness (24.75 ± 9.10) levels were moderate. Participants’ AStSdP mean score had a moderate positive correlation with the SSES mean score, a low negative low level relationship with the SSCS mean score, and a moderate negative relationship with sexual shyness (p