[Sexual function and quality of life of low-risk pregnant women].

PURPOSE: To evaluate, in healthy women in the second trimester of pregnancy, a possible association between sexual function and quality of life, and between sexual function and sexual satisfaction.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study involved 51 pregnant women managed at a low-risk antenatal care clinic. Sexual function was evaluated through the Sexual Quotient - Female Version (QS-F) questionnaire. Quality of life and sexual satisfaction were evaluated though the brief version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL-bref). Inclusion criteria were pregnancy between 15-26 weeks, maternal age 20 or more years, at least five years of schooling, in a relationship with a single partner for the last 6 months, having sexual intercourse with vaginal penetration in the last 15 days. We excluded women with a history of sexual violence, previous or current depression, habitual abortion or obstetric complications in the index pregnancy (premature rupture of membranes, preterm labor or hemorrhage). The χ² and Fisher exact tests were used for statistical analyses and p<0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS

Most of the participants (64.8%) obtained "regular to excellent" grades on the QS-F and 58.8% classified their quality of life as "good". As to sexual satisfaction, 35.3 and 15.7% declared that they were "satisfied" and "very satisfied" with their sexual life, respectively. The study detected significant associations between "bad to poor" QS-F grades with a "poor" quality of life (p=0.002), and with "regular to good" and "good to excellent" QS-F grades with "satisfaction" or "high" sexual satisfaction" (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Sexual function is associated with quality of life and with sexual satisfaction in healthy women in the second trimester of pregnancy.