The Effect of Education of Sexual Health with Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises on the Performance and Sexual Satisfaction of Pregnant Women

Introduction: Sexual instinct is one of the basic needs of man and the concept of marital satisfaction is also the most important factor for the stability of marital relationship. The trend of changes in sexual activity during pregnancy can affect sexual function and sexual satisfaction of pregnant women; therefore, providing appropriate strategies can increase marital satisfaction. This study was performed with the aim to determine the effect of the educational program of sexual health with pelvic floor muscle exercises on sexual satisfaction and performance of pregnant women. Methods: This clinical trial study was conducted on 60 eligible pregnant women referred to two health centers in Zahedan in 2018. Subjects were randomly divided into two groups of 30 intervention and control groups. Group training for sexual health was done for two weeks and exercise for 6 weeks in the intervention group. In both groups, pretest and posttest were taken. Data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential tests of Chi-square, t-test, and independent t-test in SPSS 16 software. Results: There was no significant difference between two groups in terms of individual variables such as mother's age, education, employment status, gestational age, number of pregnancies. Findings showed that there was a significant difference between the mean of satisfaction score and sexual function at the post-intervention stage between the two groups (P < 0.001). This difference was not significant between the two groups before the intervention. Conclusions: Regarding the effect of sexual training and kegel exercise on sexual satisfaction and sexual function during pregnancy, it is recommended that these simple educational interventions should be considered in order to improve the psychological and sexual status of pregnant women.