FEMALE SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION AND FUNCTION DURING THE PREGNANCY-PUERPERAL CYCLE

A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Abstract

Pregnancy and puerperium are periods of a woman’s life marked by frequent sexual difficulties. Numerous
factors interfere with sexual function in this period including hormonal, anatomical, psychological and social changes. Objectives: to discuss female sexual functions and dysfunction in gestation and puerperium, the main associated factors, in addition to multiprofessional assessment and management. Methods: the strategy of this review was to search for articles in the databases PubMed, Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe emCiências da Saúde (Lilacs), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), theses in the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Capes) database, from 1966 to 2019. Articles were selected using the following descriptors isolated and combined:(1) sexual function, (2) sexual dysfunction, (3) sexuality, (4) gestation and (5) puerperium. Results: from the literature review we have written the present article that addressed the female sexuality in the pregnancy-puerperal period, concentrating the subject in three main axes: (1) female sexual function in pregnancy and puerperium, (2) female sexual dysfunction in gestation and puerperium and (3) approachto female sexual function and dysfunction in gestation and puerperium. Conclusion: the sexual life of the woman in the pregnancy-puerperal cycle is an adaptive challenge that requires health professionals prepared to speak openly about sexuality with the couple, a topic that is still not very discussed.