Old wives’ tale debunked by modern science.

A study of 93 pregnant women looked for evidence that engaging in sexual intercourse at term hastens the onset of labor. The finding?

Sexual intercourse at term is not associated with ripening of the cervix and does not hasten labor.

In fact, just the opposite effect was found: women who were sexually active in the final three weeks of their pregnancies carried their babies an average of 39.9 weeks, compared to average delivery at 39.3 weeks among women who abstained from sexual activity at term. That is, sexual activity lengthened the pregnancies. On top of that, the data don’t support a recommendation to engage in sexual activity, either.

Of the 93 women enrolled, 47, or 50.5 percent, reported they had sex during the final weeks of their pregnancies – more than any other similar study has indicated. The participating women were those with low-risk single pregnancies enrolled at their doctor’s office visit after the 37th week of pregnancy. At this and subsequent routine visits, patients were asked whether they had engaged in sexual intercourse during the preceding week and if so, how many times. Cervical examinations also were performed at each visit to gauge whether the sexual activity had a ‘ripening’ effect on the cervix.

However, the study’s author, Dr Jonathan Schaffir, MD, acknowledged that women who are more comfortable late in pregnancy may be more likely to engage in sexual activity, and that women who experience abdominal discomfort or pelvic pressure – possible signs of earlier delivery – won’t be inclined to want to have sex. Dr. Schaffir also said that because of the highly personal nature of sexual behavior, the study does not address specific components of sexual behavior that might have varying effects on the onset of labor. One thing I find weak in this study is that only 93 women were studied: I would be happier if data from a lot more women was taken into account, say 500 or so. That would make the data more robust.

So there you go, another myth falls to evidence.

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