Comparing Relationship Satisfaction and Body-Image-Related Quality of Life in Pregnant Women with Planned and Unplanned Pregnancies.

This comparative cross-sectional study conducted at the "Pius Brinzeu" healthcare center in Timisoara explored the differential impacts of pregnancy planning status on sexual function, body image, and relationship satisfaction among pregnant women. Employing the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults (BESAQ), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), the study analyzed responses from 107 participants divided into groups of planned (n = 59, mean age 28.5 ± 5.2) and unplanned (n = 48, mean age 27.3 ± 4.8) pregnancies. In the first trimester, unplanned pregnancies reported higher median scores in desire (4.7 vs. 3.6, p = 0.005), arousal (4.5 vs. 3.8, p = 0.001), and lubrication (4.6 vs. 3.7, p = 0.015) compared to planned pregnancies. Satisfaction scores also favored unplanned pregnancies in the first trimester (4.8 vs. 3.9, p = 0.009). Similar trends were observed in subsequent trimesters, with unplanned pregnancies consistently reporting higher FSFI scores, indicating a robust sexual function. Risk factors significantly associated with sexual dysfunction were a higher BMI in the first trimester (beta coefficient: -0.124, p = 0.019), unmarried civil status (beta coefficient: -0.323, p = 0.045), history of previous abortion (beta coefficient: -0.451, p = 0.012), irregular menstrual cycles (beta coefficient: -0.384, p = 0.026), and rural living area (beta coefficient: -0.278, p = 0.034). Notably, unplanned pregnancy itself was not a significant risk factor for sexual dysfunction (beta coefficient: -0.054, p = 0.095). Regarding relationship dynamics, planned pregnancies exhibited significantly higher satisfaction with partner support (4.1 ± 0.9 vs. 3.7 ± 1.1, p = 0.041) and communication within the couple (4.0 ± 1.0 vs. 3.5 ± 1.2, p = 0.020), whereas unplanned pregnancies reported higher satisfaction with emotional closeness (4.3 ± 0.7 vs. 3.8 ± 1.0, p = 0.004). Concerns about managing professional activities and household chores were significantly more prevalent in the unplanned pregnancy group (62.50% vs. 33.90%, p = 0.014). Unplanned pregnancies demonstrated better initial sexual function but faced greater challenges in relationship satisfaction and managing pregnancy demands. Identifying and addressing the risk factors associated with sexual dysfunction can provide targeted interventions to improve the well-being of pregnant women, regardless of pregnancy planning status.

The Impact of Latent Cytomegalovirus Infection on Spontaneous Abortion History and Pregnancy Outcomes in Romanian Pregnant Women.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a DNA virus that belongs to the Orthoherpesviridae family, infects 40-100% of people. Primary/non-primary CMV infection during pregnancy could cause fetal disabilities. After primary infection, CMV causes a latent infection and resides in cells of the myeloid compartment (CD34+, monocytes). Few studies have analyzed the impact of latent CMV infections on miscarriage history, pregnancy complications, and neonatal outcomes. METHODS: Serum samples from 806 pregnant women (28.29 ± 4.50 years old) who came for a consultation at the Timisoara Clinical Emergency City Hospital between 2008 and 2010 were tested for anti-CMV IgM/IgG antibodies, and data about demography, obstetrical history, pregnancy complications, birth, and neonate were collected. The data were compared between the groups with and without latent CMV infection, and statistical significance was calculated. RESULTS: We did not find a difference regarding cesarean section (OR = 0.916, p = 0.856), placental abruption (OR = 1.004, p = 1.00), pregnancy-induced hypertension rate (OR = 1.078, p = 1.00), secondary sex ratio (0.882, p = 0.857), APGAR score (p = 0.225), gestational age at birth (p = 0.434), or birth weight (p = 0.365). A borderline significant difference was found regarding the presence of miscarriage history: OR = 8.467, p = 0.051. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of latent CMV infection does not affect the likelihood of complications in healthy women. A borderline significantly higher prevalence of miscarriage history was found in women with latent CMV infection.

Psychometric properties of the Romanian version of the female sexual function index (FSFI-RO).

BACKGROUND: Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is a highly prevalent health disorder and no self-report questionnaire on female sexual function is available in Romanian. Therefore we considered the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) to be the most appropriate due to its excellent psychometric properties. The FSFI is a measuring scale with 19 items that assess the six domains of female sexual function: desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction and pain. The paper aims to analyze the psychometric reliability and validity of the FSFI-RO (Romanian Version of the Female Sexual Function Index). METHODS: 385 women (aged 18 to 51) enrolled in the present study. To assess the presence of FSD we used the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) criteria for sexual dysfunction. Then we categorized the participants into two groups: the FSD group (41%) and the healthy control group (59%). Women were then asked to fill out a form that included sociodemographic information and the FSFI-RO questionnaire. A sample of 50 women agreed to re-answer FSFI-RO in a 4-week interval in order to evaluate the test-retest validity of the questionnaire. The data were summarized using descriptive statistics: the test-retest reliability was measured by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC); Cronbach's alpha was employed to evaluate the internal consistency of the Romanian version of the FSFI, and validity was assessed by the content and construct validity. RESULTS: The results showed high test-retest reliability, with ICC from 0.942 to 0.991 in the domains and 0.987 in the total score. Regarding the internal consistency of the FSFI-RO, Cronbach's α coefficients were found to be high (α = 0.944). Convergent construct validity proved to be moderate to high in desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm and, satisfaction domains, and weak correlation in the pain domain. Regarding the discriminant construct validity, the scores for each domain and the total score showed statistically significant differences between the FSD group and the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The FSFI-RO showed similar psychometric properties to those of the original version, therefore being a reliable and valid instrument that can be used in Romanian-speaking women.

The Paradox of Sexual Dysfunction Observed during Pregnancy.

The aim of this study is to analyze the evolution of sexual function throughout pregnancy and highlight the predicting factors of sexual dysfunction in pregnant women. Our study included 144 participants, aged 16 to 45. Patients were evaluated three times during pregnancy by filling out the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and the Body Exposure in Sexual Activities Questionnaire (BESAQ). At the time of the last evaluation, we asked patients to also fill out Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and a questionnaire regarding their psychological status and relationship satisfaction. We observed that the FSFI lubrication, satisfaction, and pain domains and the FSFI total score significantly decreased from the 1st to the 3rd evaluation. We observed that an increase in BDI score and the presence of abortion in the patient's history increase the risk of developing female sexual dysfunction (FSD). Higher BMIs were found to be a protective factor against FSD, as was being unmarried. The relationship satisfaction score was found to be an independent predictor of FSD. These findings support previous studies that indicate that pregnancy and postpartum sexuality are multifaceted phenomena and that psycho-social factors have a greater impact on sexuality than biological factors.

Effects of Hormonal Profile, Weight, and Body Image on Sexual Function in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hyperandrogenic endocrinological disorder associated with chronic oligo-anovulation and polycystic ovarian morphology. Compared to women without PCOS, women with PCOS have a risk of sexual dysfunction that is more than 30% higher. Although alterations in sex hormones and psychosocial wellbeing have been proposed, the precise mechanisms of FSD in PCOS remain unclear. The aim of our study was to analyze how the hormonal, clinical and psychometric parameters of PCOS patients are involved in the development of sexual dysfunction. The study group consisted of 54 women, aged between 21 and 32 years, diagnosed with PCOS. We collected the following parameters: age, body mass index (BMI), the Ferriman-Gallwey score (FG), maximum duration of oligomenorrhea, abdominal circumference (AC), free testosterone value (FT), luteinizing hormone/follicle stimulating hormone (LH/FSH) ratio value, serum cortisol value and ovarian ultrasound appearance. At the time of the examination, patients were asked to fill in the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and the Body Exposure during Sexual Activities Questionnaire (BESAQ). Statistically significant differences were observed between normal weight and overweight women regarding BESAQ (p-value = 0.02) and FSFI total (p-value <0.001). Elevated BMI, AC or BESAQ scores correlated with a lower FSFI score. The most involved domains of the scale were orgasm, arousal, and desire. Elevated BESAQ scores increase the risk of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) by 4.24 times. FT, BESAQ score, BMI, and LH/FSH ratio were found to independently predict FSD. The cutoff point for the BESAQ score in detecting FSD was found to be 1.97. Weight, body image and anxiety related to sexual activities seem to be significant components in the development of sexual dysfunction in PCOS patients, beyond the effect due to hyperandrogenism. FT value has a U-shape effect in sexual dysfunction, because both in the case of deficit and in the case of excess, sexual function is impaired. BESAQ is a strong predictor for sexual dysfunction in women with PCOS, along with FT value, LH/FSH ratio and BMI.