Evaluation of the effect of an antenatal pelvic floor muscle exercise programme on female sexual function during pregnancy and the first 3 months following birth: study protocol for a pragmatic randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Background Sexual dysfunction can have a negative impact on women’s quality of life and relationships. There is limited information about female sexual function and treatment, particularly during pregnancy and the postpartum period. The effect of pelvic floor muscle exercise (PFME) on sexual function (SF) has not been studied adequately. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of antenatal PFME on female SF during pregnancy and the first 3 months following birth. Methods/design This is a pragmatic, randomised controlled trial which will compare a structured antenatal PFME programme combined with standard antenatal care to standard antenatal care alone. Eligible women who are less than 22 weeks’ gestation will be recruited from the antenatal clinics of one hospital located in Western Sydney, Australia. A sample of 200 primiparous pregnant women who meet the inclusion criteria will be randomised to either control or intervention groups. This sample size will allow for detecting a minimum difference of 9% in the female SF score between the two groups. The duration of the PFME programme is from approximately 20 weeks’ gestation until birth. Female SF will be measured via questionnaires at < 22 weeks’ gestation, at 36 weeks’ gestation and at 3 months following birth. Baseline characteristics, such as partner relationship and mental health, will be collected using surveys and questionnaires. Data collected for secondary outcomes include the effect of PFME on childbirth outcomes, urinary and faecal incontinence symptoms and quality of life. Discussion The findings of this study will provide more information on whether a hospital-based antenatal PFME has any effect on female SF, urinary and faecal incontinence during pregnancy and the first 3 months following birth. The study will also provide information on the effectiveness of antenatal PFME on childbirth outcomes. Trial registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials registry, ACTRN12617001030369 . Registered on 17 July 2017. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13063-019-3226-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Seksualitas Ibu Postpartum dengan Riwayat Persalinan Rupture Perineum : Studi Fenomenologi

“…Perubahan yang terjadi tidak hanya perubahan fisik tetapi juga perubahan emosional. Perubahan ini dapat berdampak pada seksualitas seorang perempuan (Sobhgol et al, 2019). Seksualitas pada perempuan merupakan permasalahan yang penting, seksualitas dapat mempengaruhi kualitas hidup dan kepuasan dalam hubungan pernikahan (Eid et al, 2015).…”

“…Menurut Schreiner et al, (2018) Sobhgol et al, (2019) penurunan kekuatan otot dasar panggul akibat kehamilan dan persalinan dapat menurunkan kepuasan seksual. Otot dasar panggul yang lemah dapat mempengaruhi stimulasi dan gairah sehingga dapat mempengaruhi orgasme.…”

“…Berdasarkan hasil penelitian, kondisi fisik dan psikologis dapat mempengaruhi kondisi seksual. Hal ini sejalan dengan penelitian Sobhgol et al, (2019) dan Quoc Huy et al, (2019) yang mengungkapkan bahwa aktifitas seksual dipengaruhi oleh kondisi fisik, psikososial, dan perilaku. Rasa nyeri, rasa takut, peran baru menjadi orang tua dan kelelahan dalam merawat bayi juga mempengaruhi fungsi seksual ibu postpartum terutama ibu primipara.…”

The effect of pelvic floor muscle exercises on sexual function in women with multiple sclerosis: a pre – post intervention clinical trial

“…Pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) are known to play a key role in sexual function, as they are responsible for the involuntary rhythmic contractions during orgasm and for vaginal sensation during intercourse [12,13].…”

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“…It is estimated that about 200 million women around the world are not familiar with PFME, and approximately 50% of women do not perform PFME correctly [1]. In line with this, the study by Sobhgol et al, [2] proposed a supervised, structured PFME training delivered through a hospital-based program. This study tested the effectiveness of an antenatal PFME program alone with no vaginal examination or invasive method and put more emphasis on the continuity of care and motivation.…”