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Allsop DB, Huberman JS, Cohen E, Bagnell KB, Péloquin K, Cockwell H, Rosen NO. What Does a Pregnancy Loss Mean for Sex? Comparing Sexual Well-Being Between Couples With and Without a Recent Loss. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 53:423-438. [PMID: 37814102 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02697-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
It is unclear whether sexual well-being, which is an important part of individual and relational health, may be at risk for declines after a pregnancy loss given the limits of prior work. Accordingly, in a cross-sectional study, we used structural equation modeling to (1) compare sexual well-being levels-satisfaction, desire, function, distress, and frequency-of both partners in couples who had experienced a pregnancy loss in the past four months (N = 103 couples) to their counterparts in a control sample of couples with no history of pregnancy loss (N = 120 couples), and (2) compare sexual well-being levels of each member of a couple to one another. We found that gestational individuals and their partners in the pregnancy loss sample were less sexually satisfied than their control counterparts but did not differ in sexual desire, problems with sexual function, nor sexual frequency. Surprisingly, we found that partners of gestational individuals had less sexual distress than their control counterparts. In the pregnancy loss sample, gestational individuals had lower levels of sexual desire post-loss than their partners but did not differ in sexual satisfaction, problems with sexual function, nor sexual distress. Our results provide evidence that a recent pregnancy loss is associated with lower sexual satisfaction and greater differences between partners in sexual desire, which may be useful information for clinicians working with couples post-loss. Practitioners can share these findings with couples who may find it reassuring that we did not find many aspects of sexual well-being to be related to pregnancy loss at about three months post-loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- David B Allsop
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Jackie S Huberman
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Eva Cohen
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - K Brenna Bagnell
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Katherine Péloquin
- Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Heather Cockwell
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Natalie O Rosen
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
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Allsop DB, Péloquin K, Saxey MT, Rossi MA, Rosen NO. Perceived financial burden is indirectly linked to sexual well-being via quality of life among couples seeking medically assisted reproduction. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1063268. [PMID: 37082570 PMCID: PMC10110993 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1063268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
IntroductionMedically assisted reproduction is a difficult treatment process for couples both financially and sexually. Yet, these two domains have not been examined together among couples seeking treatment, leaving couples and practitioners without guidance on how to address these domains together.MethodsIn line with Couples and Finance Theory, we tested the hypothesis that perceived financial burden and couple income would predict quality of life during medically assisted reproduction, which would then predict four domains of sexual well-being (i.e., sexual satisfaction, desire, distress, and frequency). We also examined if the results differed by treatment status—that is, between partners who were receiving treatment and those who were not. Cross-sectional data from 120 couples who had undergone medically assisted reproduction in the past six months were analyzed via structural equation modeling through an actor-partner interdependence mediation model.ResultsAn individual’s greater perceived financial burden predicted their own lower quality of life during medically assisted reproduction, which in turn predicted their lower sexual satisfaction, desire and distress, as well as their partner’s lower sexual satisfaction. Household income did not indirectly predict any sexual well-being domains, and results regarding treatment status were inconclusive.DiscussionClinicians can discuss with couples how perceived financial strain of medically assisted reproduction affects their quality of life and what ramifications that may have for their sexual well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- David B. Allsop
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Katherine Péloquin
- Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Matthew T. Saxey
- School of Family Life, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Meghan A. Rossi
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Natalie O. Rosen
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- *Correspondence: Natalie O. Rosen,
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