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way to prevent post term pregnancy. dence against the hypothesis that sexual activity generally
increases risk of preterm delivery between 29 and 36 weeks. However, we cannot exclude the
possibility that a small subgroup of susceptible women might have adverse consequences of
sexual activity.
Coitus late in pregnancy: risk of preterm rupture of amniotic sac membranes.
Ekwo EE1, Gosselink CA, Woolson R, Moawad A, Long CR.
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CONCLUSION:
For healthy nulliparous women, coitus during pregnancy is not related to bacterial vaginosis and
does not predispose to preterm birth.
Sexuality in pregnancy and premature labour.
Georgakopoulos PA, Dodos D, Mechleris D.
Abstract
The relation of sexual behaviour during pregnancy to the initiation of labour was investigated in
358 patients of whom 58 were delivered after premature labour and 300 were delivered
spontaneously at term. In all patients the mean weekly coital frequency and the frequency of
orgasm were investigated by means of a retrospective questionnaire. There was no significant
difference in coital or orgasmic frequency between the women who had a premature labour and
those who had a spontaneous delivery at term. This was also true when those having premature
labour were divided into those starting labour with ruptured membranes and those starting with
contractions.
Effect of coital activity on onset of labor in women scheduled for labor induction: a randomized
controlled trial.
OBJECTIVES:
Coitus with or without orgasm in late pregnancy is inconsistently associated with preterm rupture
of amniotic sac membranes. We tested the hypothesis that during late pregnancy sexual behaviors
including sexual positioning relate to the occurrence of premature rupture of membranes.
OBJECTIVE:
To estimate the effect of coitus on the onset of labor.
METHODS:
Women with a nonurgent labor induction at term were recruited. Women randomly assigned to
the advised-coitus group were encouraged to have sex to promote the onset of labor. Controls
were neither encouraged nor discouraged regarding coitus. Participants kept a coital and orgasm
diary until delivery, and standard obstetric care was provided to both groups. Primary outcomes
were reported coitus and spontaneous labor. Secondary outcomes included reported orgasms,
initial Bishop score at the admission for induction, preterm rupture of membranes, use of
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
To determine the effects of human ejaculate on the biomechanical properties of the human
chorioamniotic membranes.
STUDY DESIGN:
Equivalent strips of chorioamniotic membranes were obtained from 30 term, uncomplicated
pregnancies immediately after delivery and incubated for 0, 1 and 24 hours with either ejaculate
or pseudoamniotic fluid. Three biomechanical properties--rupture tension, strain to rupture and
work to rupture--were compared.
CONCLUSION:
Most sexual positions and activities during late pregnancy are not associated with adverse
pregnancy outcomes.
RESULTS:
STUDY DESIGN:
The presence of bacterial vaginosis was assessed in 790 healthy nulliparous women between 8
and 17 weeks' gestation, and they were then asked to record weekly the number of occasions of
sexual intercourse from registration to term. The end point for each was the occurrence of
preterm uterine contractions, preterm birth, or preterm rupture of the membranes.
One hour of incubation with pseudoamniotic fluid alone did not significantly change the
membrane biomechanical parameters, but these parameters were reduced after one hour of
exposure to ejaculate (P < .05). Twenty-four hours of incubation decreased all three properties in
both the ejaculate and control groups without any significant difference between the two groups.
CONCLUSION:
In vitro exposure to human ejaculate for one hour significantly weakens the human
chorioamniotic membranes.
Coitus and chorioamnionitis: a prospective study.
Naeye RL, Ross S.
Abstract
Amniotic fluid infections have been strongly associated with coitus during pregnancy. If the
relationship is causal it may be possible to identify a time sequence between coitus, penetration
of bacteria through the mucous plug in the cervix, the development of infection in the
extraplacental membranes near the cervical os, spread of the infection to the amniotic fluid and
complications of the infection. The present study looked for such a sequence in an analysis of
541 pregnancies. A peak frequency of chorioamnionitis limited to the extraplacental membranes
was present when labor and delivery took Intercourse during late pregnancy was associated with
a reduced risk of preterm delivery. The conditional odds ratio (OR) was 0.34 and 95%
confidence interval (CI) 0.23, 0.51 for preterm delivery within 2 weeks after intercourse. Similar
decreased risk for preterm delivery was found with recent female orgasm. Adjusting for race,
age, education, and living with a partner had little effect on results. Cases were more likely than
controls to report poorer health, medical reasons for reducing sexual activity, less interest in sex,
and receipt of advice to restrict sexual activity during pregnancy. Results did not differ
substantially according to presence or absence of bacterial vaginosis at 28 weeks.
place within two days of the last coitus. In the next two days the infection spread to the amniotic
fluid as evidenced by a peak frequency of maternal neutrophils migrating through the placental
plate toward the amniotic cavity. Premature delivery was 4 times more frequent when there had
been recent coitus and an amniotic fluid infection was present than when either factor was absent
(P less than 0.01). Spontaneous rupture of the fetal membranes before the onset of and the
membranes were inflamed than when these factors were absent (P less than 0.01). This raises the
possibility that orgasm further weakened or ruptured membranes that had already been weakened
by infection.