Pelvic floor disorders and body image concerns as determinants of sexual desire during pregnancy

Pregnancy is a multidimensional process that leads to significant changes in a woman's body image and sexual life. This study aimed to examine the relationships among pelvic floor dysfunction, body image perception, and sexual desire in pregnant women in the third trimester, and to evaluate the predictive role of these variables on sexual desire. This cross-sectional study included 209 pregnant women in their third trimester (Mean age = 28.63, SD = 5.88) in the study. Participants completed the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 (PFDI-20), the Body Understanding Measure for Pregnancy Scale (BUMPS), the Sexual Interest and Desire Inventory-Female (SIDI-F), and the Attitude Scale Toward Sexuality During Pregnancy (ASTSP). In the third trimester, no significant differences were found between BMI subgroups in terms of pelvic floor dysfunction, sexual desire, or sexual attitudes, similar to the findings in the primigravidae and multigravidae subgroup. Correlation analyses revealed significant relationships between increased pelvic floor dysfunction and decreased sexual desire, as well as more negative sexual attitudes. On the other hand, although limited, an increase in sexual desire was observed with poorer body image perception. Regression analyses showed that pelvic floor dysfunction and body image were significant predictors of sexual desire, independent of demographic and obstetric variables. The results indicate that sexual desire during pregnancy is influenced not only by physiological factors but also by psychosocial factors such as body image and pelvic health, and it is recommended that these aspects be integrated into prenatal care processes.