When You Might Need To Say No To Sex During Pregnancy And After Delivery | Gynaecologist/ Obstetrics, Oluwarotimi Akinola
A professor of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Oluwarotimi Akinola, has said that it is safe to have sex at various periods during pregnancy.
However, the expert said a woman who is at risk of miscarriage should likely avoid sex during pregnancy because the orgasm can make the uterus contract and that might lead to expulsion.
Speaking in an interview with PUNCH HealthWise, Akinola said several studies have also confirmed this. He said:
“It’s been thoroughly investigated and found that at various periods in pregnancy, there’s no problem with having sex; it’s not contraindicated.
“If a person has a risk of miscarriage, she should probably abstain from sex during pregnancy because the orgasm can make the uterus contract and that might lead to expulsion.
“Orgasm also has to do with the womb contracting. Then, the sperm contains things that can soften the neck of the womb; these can lead to miscarriage but otherwise it’s not such a big deal if there’s no risk.”
Akinola, who is a formal president of the Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics in Nigeria said a pregnant woman should also avoid having sex when labour is due, as a safety precaution against infection. The expert said:
“A woman can have sex at any time in pregnancy but you avoid the period when labour is due because of the risk of introducing infection.
“Also, avoid sex immediately after delivery until you heal properly.”
On couples who have sex immediately after the woman’s delivery, he said,
“What we advocate is for the woman to wait for six weeks so that she can heal first and everything goes back to what it was before pregnancy but there’s no hard and fast rule again.”