Dyspareunia and its relationship with estrogenic changes and sexual dysfunction of women in the second half of pregnancy

Dyspareunia or pain during intercourse is one of the problems which some women experience. This problem becomes more severe during pregnancy. Therefore, this study was performed with aim to investigate dyspareunia and its relationship with estrogen changes and sexual dysfunction in pregnant women.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in 2018-2019 on 50 pregnant women referring to obstetrics and gynecology clinics and also clinical psychologists in Mashhad who had dyspareunia as the case group and 50 normal and non-infected pregnant women as the control group. Also, pregnant women were at the interval between the fourth and fifth months of pregnancy. Data collection tool included demographic information, the structured clinical interview measurement tool for disorders I and II and DSM-IV, the standard Female Sexual Function Index sexual performance questionnaire, and disease-related information included in the researcher-made checklist. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software (version 16) and Pearson correlation coefficient test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The results showed that the mean score of total sexual function in the clinical group was 6.84±5.65 and the score of dyspareunia was 5.46±4.22; the scores of the case group were much higher than the control group. Also, the level of estrogen in pregnant women with dyspareunia decreased compared to pregnant women without dyspareunia and was 21.68±12 12.04 in the case group and 36.21±18.12 in the control group that significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of estrogenic changes.

Low estrogen level is effective in causing dyspareunia. Also, the history of dyspareunia was associated with sexual dysfunction; so that the total score of sexual function and estrogen level was lower in the patient group than the normal group. What increases the prevalence of dyspareunia is a history of sexual dysfunction. In general, women in the control group had better score in sexual function and lower score in painful intercourse, and had no particular problem.