Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Jan 29;37(1):116-130.
doi: 10.1080/19317611.2025.2453909. eCollection 2025.

The Effect of Sexuality Education During Pregnancy on Female Sexual Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Study

Güleser Ada  1   2 , Yasemin Hamlacı Başkaya  2 , Kevser İlçioğlu  3
Affiliations

The Effect of Sexuality Education During Pregnancy on Female Sexual Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Study

Güleser Ada et al. Int J Sex Health. .

Abstract

Objective: This meta-analysis aimed to synthesize the effect of sexuality education during pregnancy on female sexual function. Although sexual dysfunction in pregnancy is a common problem, it is often overshadowed by other outcomes, such as pregnancy risks or birth complications. Therefore, understanding the impact of educational interventions on women's sexual health is crucial to improving their overall well-being during this period.

Method: Studies were searched on the electronic databases Google Scholar, Web of Science, Journal Park, the Cochrane Library, EBSCO Medline, Pubmed, and Scopus without imposing any restrictions on the publication year. This meta-analysis used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and meta-analysis statement guidelines. Findings were analyzed using fixed- or random-effects models based on 95% confidence intervals, p values, and heterogeneity testing.

Results: This systematic review included 4 studies with 337 (training: 169 and control: 168) participants due to the limited number of studies on this topic. Interventions in the four studies using the Female Sexual Function Index showed that sexuality education provided to intervention groups had a statistically significant positive effect on the total female sexual function score compared to control groups (p < .001, range: 0.552-0.995).

Conclusion: This meta-analysis provides insights into the implementation of educational interventions considering their positive impact on female sexual function during pregnancy. Despite the limited number of studies (only 4 studies), the findings suggest that sex education leads to significant improvements in many aspects, such as sexual pleasure, vaginal lubrication, orgasm, sexual desire, and overall satisfaction. Furthermore, pregnancy provides an ideal opportunity to normalize and integrate this education into pregnancy care, as it is a time when women often attend antenatal checkups or childbirth classes.

Keywords: Meta-analysis; pregnancy; sexual education; sexual function.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

References

    1. Afshar, M., Mohammad-Alizadeh-Charandabi, S., Merghti-Khoei, E.-S., & Yavarikia, P. (2012). The effect of sex education on the sexual function of women in the first half of pregnancy: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Caring Sciences, 1(4), 173–181. 10.5681/jcs.2012.025 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ahmadi, Z., Malekzadegan, A., & Hosseini, A. (2011). Sexual satisfaction and its related factors in primigravidas. Iranian Journal of Nursing, 24(71), 54–62.
    1. Alizadeh, S., Riazi, H., Majd, H. A., & Ozgoli, G. (2021). The effect of sexual health education on sexual activity, sexual quality of life, and sexual violence in pregnancy: A prospective randomized controlled trial. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 21(1), 334. 10.1186/s12884-021-03803-8 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Amel Barez, M., Mirzaii Najmabadi, K., Latifnejad Roudsari, R., Mosavi Bazaz, M., & Babazadeh, R. (2023). “Family and society empowerment”: A content analysis of the needs of Iranian women who experience domestic violence during pregnancy: a qualitative study. BMC Women’s Health, 23(1), 370. 10.1186/s12905-023-02525-7 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Aslan, G., Aslan, D., Kizilyar, A., Ispahi, C., & Esen, A. (2005). A prospective analysis of sexual functions during pregnancy. International Journal of İmpotence Research, 17(2), 154–157. 10.1038/sj.ijir.3901288 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources