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The relationship between pregnancy and sexual risk taking
T E Wilson1, H Minkoff, S McCalla
1Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Albany, USA.
Objectives:
We attempted to determine whether risks of acquiring sexually transmitted diseases differ between pregnant and nonpregnant women.
Study Design:
Women attending clinics in Brooklyn (332 pregnant and 1069 nonpregnant) were interviewed and tested for Trichomonas vaginalis and Chlamydia trachomatis. Independent-sample t tests were conducted via SPSSX (SPSS Inc., Chicago) to assess differences in risk behavior across pregnancy status.
Results:
In the pregnant sample 17.2% had positive test results for chlamydia and 23.4% had T vaginalis. In the nonpregnant women the rates were 10.9% and 17.7%, respectively (p<0.01). Pregnant respondents used condoms less consistently than nonpregnant women (p<0.01). Although nonpregnant women reported a higher frequency of sexual activity and more sexual partners in the previous month, the strength of those relationships was weak.
Conclusion:
We have found that pregnancy does not represent a time of reduced sexual risks. The differences in self-reported risk, with the exception of consistency of condom use, all showed very weak indexes of strength. Providers of obstetric services should incorporate "safer sex" messages into routine prenatal care.