Sexuality during pregnancy and the year postpartum.

Abstract

The topic of sexuality during pregnancy and the year postpartum is ripe for feminist analysis because it represents the combination of biological events that are unique and meaningful to women (pregnancy and childbirth) with a heavy layer of social constructions based on cultural beliefs about the proper roles of women and men and the appropriateness of sexual expression. In many ways there are parallels to issues in adolescent girls' sexuality, in the combination of biological events (puberty) with cultural constructions. Therefore, concepts from the chapter by Welsh, Rostosky, and Kawaguchi (chapter 5, this volume) on adolescent girls' sexuality also are relevant here.In this chapter we review cultural beliefs about sexuality during preg-This research was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health Grant No. MH44340 to

Postpartum sexual health: a principle‐based concept analysis

“…Inconsistencies in linguistic use are evident as the term postpartum sexual health was often used interchangeably with postpartum sexuality (Hyde et al 1996, von Sydow 1999, Barrett et al 2000, DeJudicibus & McCabe 2002, Rowland et al 2005, Trutnovsky et al 2006, Pastore et al 2007, Shirvani et al 2010, Hipp et al 2012, Woolhouse et al 2012) and postpartum sexual function (Baksu et al 2007, Pauls et al 2008, Klein et al 2009, Safarinejad et al 2009, Citak et al 2010, Baud et al 2011, Chivers et al 2011, Hosseini et al 2012. This is further exacerbated by a lack of definitions of these terms and the multiplicity of issues addressed in each term in the literature.…”

The endocrinology of sexual arousal

“…Lactation Reduction in sexual interest and enjoyment is common during the post-partum period, and is more marked in breast-feeding than bottle-feeding mothers (Alder & Bancroft 1988, Hyde & DeLamater 2000. Alder et al (1986) assessed women prospectively for 6 months post-partum.…”

Constructing Compatibility: Managing Breast-Feeding and Weaning from the Mother’s Perspective

“…Breastfeeding women revealed significantly less sexual activity and satisfaction compared with non-breastfeeding women (Hyde, DeLamater, Plant & Jlyrd, 1996;Visness & Kennedy, 1997). However, Hyde et al, (1996) found that by 12 months there were no differences between the two groups, which questions the long-term impact ofbreastfeeding upon sexual activity. Data from the current study suggested that sexual activities had been altered, especially in relation to how participants and their partners perceived the lactating breast.…”