Sexual Intercourse during Pregnancy among Postpartum Women Admitted to the Department of Obstetrics in a Tertiary Care Centre

INTRODUCTION: Pregnancy is a time when women's bodies and minds go through a lot of changes. Sexuality is an important part of a woman's health and well-being, and it often changes during pregnancy. Most women admit that their libido changes in some way during pregnancy. However, the sexuality of a pregnant woman is very individual and influenced by a variety of different factors. This is a very important topic that is often taboo, especially in a male-dominated society, and it needs to be explored more. The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of sexual intercourse among postpartum women admitted to the Department of Obstetrics in a tertiary care centre. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among postpartum women admitted to a tertiary care centre after taking ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee. The study was carried out from 1 January 2021 to 30 December 2021. Convenience sampling method was used. The point estimate was calculated at a 95% Confidence Interval. RESULTS: Among 97 pregnant women admitted to the Department of Obstetrics, the prevalence of sexual intercourse was 36 (37.11%) (27.50-46.72, 95% Confidence Interval). A total of 34 (94.44%) were sexually active in the first trimester while 13 (36.11%) and 4 (11.11%) were sexually active in the second trimester and third trimester respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of sexual intercourse during pregnancy was lower than other studies done in similar settings.