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Sex during pregnancy is recognized as safe
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Scientists from the University of Malaya, Malaysia, have refuted the widespread belief that sex during pregnancy can cause premature birth. The experts found no differences or deviations in the timing of the birth of children between women who had sex during pregnancy and those who abstained from intimate relations.
Those who did not support sex during pregnancy claimed that prostaglandins, the active substances contained in sperm, can cause premature labor by causing contractions of the uterus. They also named orgasm and breast stimulation as causes of premature labor.
The study involved more than 1,100 women who were between 35 and 38 weeks pregnant (the typical pregnancy is 40 weeks). None of them had had sex in the last six weeks.
Half of the women were advised to have sex, doctors told them that it was quite safe in their condition. The specialists told the other half of the expectant mothers that having sex during pregnancy could provoke an unexpected effect and they could not say exactly how it would affect the bearing of the child.
During the study, scientists monitored the women to determine how long the pregnancy lasted and whether any medical intervention was needed during the process of bearing a child.
As it turned out, 85% of women from the first group, who were advised to have sex, took the advice of doctors. And pregnant women from the second group also did not go far, despite the inaccurate forecasts of doctors regarding the safety of having sex during pregnancy - 80% of women from the second group were not afraid to lead a full sexual life.
The average pregnancy length in both groups was 39 weeks, and the rates of preterm birth were about the same. The scientists did not link these rates to sex or lack thereof.
This study suggests that sex does not pose a threat to premature birth and does not increase its risks. If there are no problems with the course of pregnancy, then sex will not harm the fetus in any way and will not cause negative consequences.
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