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Chapter 26 - Miscarriages, Spontaneous Abortions, Stillbirths, and Sex

from Section 2 - Specific Issues

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 November 2022

By
Orli Silverberg  and
Dan Farine
Edited by
Dan Farine  and
Pablo Tobías González
Dan Farine
Affiliation:
Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto
Pablo Tobías González
Affiliation:
Hospital Universitario Infanta Cristina de Parla, Madrid
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Summary

Loss of a pregnancy is undoubtedly an awful outcome that pregnant women dread. The question of whether sexual intercourse can cause pregnancy loss is a controversial and poorly studied topic. As recently as 40 years ago, sexual intercourse was listed in textbooks as a risk factor and precipitant for pregnancy loss. Most studies on this topic have a problematic methodology; in addition, many have selection biases and comprise a small number of subjects. In this chapter we review whether sex can result in miscarriage or stillbirth and whether women should refrain from having sex in order to prevent a pregnancy loss; when sexual intercourse can be resumed after a miscarriage; whether sex should be postponed after a miscarriage; and whether patients with a previous miscarriage should avoid sex in the current pregnancy.

Keywords

sexpregnancyintercoursestillbirthintimate partner violencemiscarriage
Type
Chapter
Information
Sex and Pregnancy
From Evidence-Based Medicine to Dr Google
 , pp. 195 - 204
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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