The effect of group sexual counseling on the sexual response of pregnant women

Abstract

Objectives: Sexual activity is one of the most important issues in life. Sex during pregnancy can fluctuate according to physical and psychological changes. This study aimed to examine the effect of sex group counseling on sexual response of pregnant women. Materials and Methods: This study is a quasi-experimental intervention. Among pregnant women of Zahedan who were referred to treatment centers for routine pregnancy care in 2015, 100 women were randomly selected and divided into two groups of intervention (n = 50) and control (n = 50). The data were collected using the pregnancy sexual response inventory (PSRI) which was completed through interview before and 6 weeks after the end of the five sexual counseling sessions. The obtained data were analyzed with SPSS-20 through descriptive statistics. Results: Independent t test showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05) in terms of age, length of marriage, gestational age, and the gravidity. The results also showed that sex counseling of sexual function for women in the intervention group was significantly increased in terms of aspects such as sexual desire, intercourse frequency, satisfaction, arousal, orgasm, and sexual quality at post-test from the perspective of women and their partners (P < 0.01). Conclusion: Given the positive effects of sex group counseling on improvement of women’s sexual response and sexual activity during pregnancy, it is recommended to include this counseling intervention in prenatal care for pregnant women.