Sexual Health and Sexual Myths During Pregnancy

Effects of Sexual Health Education During Pregnancy on Sexual Myths, Sexual Function, and Quality of Sexual Life: a Randomized Controlled Study

The aim of this experimental study is to learn the effects of sexual health education during pregnancy on sexual myths, sexual function and quality of sexual life. The main question it aims to answer is:

Is sexual health education effective in correcting sexual myths? Is sexual health education intervention effective in improving quality of sexual life? Is sexual health education intervention effective in improving sexual function? Participants who received the educational intervention prepared to improve quality of sexual life, sexual myths and sexual function will answer the survey questions after the completion of the training program.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Pregnancy
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: sexual health education

Detailed Description

Pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period are important processes in which expectant mothers and fathers experience many physiological, psychological and social changes. Pregnancy is also one of the periods when sexuality is most affected and sexual dysfunctions are commonly seen during this period. Despite the age of information and technology, sexual inexperience or lack of knowledge, growing up in a conservative society, deficiencies in sexual education and false beliefs and myths about sexuality are among the common causes of sexual dysfunction in women. These factors affect couples' attitudes and behaviors regarding sexuality during a sensitive period such as pregnancy, causing couples to experience negativities in their sexual lives.

Sexual dysfunction in women is a complex problem affected by many biological, psychological and individual factors. It is stated that sexual dysfunction in women is a common problem that increases with age and affects 30% to 50% of women, but it is known that its prevalence is quite high among young women.

Sexual life quality can be defined as the individual's perception of their own sexual life in a culture and value system according to their personal goals, expectations, criteria and earnings. Almost all sexual myths consist of negative attitudes such as sexual intercourse during pregnancy being harmful, and these attitudes also negatively affect the quality of sexual life.

By receiving consultancy services on how to have sexual life during pregnancy and obtaining information from the right sources, the prevalence of sexual myths during pregnancy will decrease and the effect on the quality of sexual life during pregnancy will be minimized.

This study aims to provide training to the target group of pregnant women on issues such as reproductive health, changes that may occur due to pregnancy, sexual activity during pregnancy and the postpartum period, and hygiene. The aim of these trainings is to inform pregnant women about sexual health and to increase the quality of their sexual life.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 90
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey
  • Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, 46000
    • Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University Faculty of Medicine Pregnant School

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• At least primary school graduate
• Being in the 18-49 age group
• Being pregnant

Exclusion Criteria:

• Having a condition that prevents communication
• Receiving hospital treatment during the data collection process

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Education; These sessions covered reproductive health, sexual activity during pregnancy and the postpartum period, personal and sexual hygiene, domestic violence during pregnancy, and misconceptions about pregnancy.	Behavioral: sexual health education; These sessions covered reproductive health, sexual activity during pregnancy and the postpartum period, personal and sexual hygiene, domestic violence during pregnancy, and misconceptions about pregnancy.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Sexual Quality of Life-Female	Increase in sexual life quality scores at the end of the training program.	4 weeks.
Female Sexual Function Index	Increase in sexual function index scores at the end of the training program.	4 weeks.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Amasya University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 1, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 30, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): December 31, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 6, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 11, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 11, 2024
• Last Verified: December 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: reproductive health; Sexual myths; sexual attitudes; sexual health education
• Other Study ID Numbers: 182213

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No