Sexuality in pregnancy: what determines behavior?

A group of 155 puerperal volunteers were surveyed by anonymous questionnaire about personal and sexual histories before and during pregnancy. Results were viewed in regard to the influences of prior life experience and pregnancy itself upon attitudes, behavior, and response to sex in pregnancy. Although many differences among the population could be found the general trend of attitude, behavior, and response was to a progressive decline in coital frequency toward the end of pregnancy. Masturbation persisted or increased in inverse relationship to attitudes regarding coitus. Other past or present individual circumstances had no statistically significant effect on these trends. Poor conjugal relationships tended to deteriorate more rapidly than good ones. The author concludes that pregnancy strongly influences human behavior regardless of many individual or group characteristics. Sexually experienced and satisfied women compensate better in changed circumstances than inexperienced or sexually unfulfilled women. Rewarding sexual circumstances retard the rate of decline in interest and activity experienced by most women during late pregnancy, but do not avert this decline. Pregnancy is a potent influence over sexuality irrespective of an individual's conditioning.