Frequent Sex Doesn’t Hasten Labour, Says Physician

Frequent Sex Doesn’t Hasten Labour, Says Physician

A public health physician, Dr Shehu Martins, has said that the notion by some couples that having frequent sex during pregnancy to fasten labour is not true.

Martins, who works with St. Mary’s Catholic Hospital in Gwagwalada, Federal Capital Territory, made the statement on Friday in an interview with newsmen.

He said the number of times a woman had sex late in pregnancy did not open the cervix but she could have it for pleasure.

Instead, sperm can threaten the foetus and lead to miscarriage, the doctor warned.

“The cervix is hard structure created to hold the baby, fluid and placenta for nine months.

“A woman’s cervix goes through changes in late pregnancy and in early labour so that it can dilate to allow the baby pass through.

“Normally, it opens in three parts, that is when the woman is menstruating, during labour and having sex, but sex does not expand it,’’ he explained.

Though there are some that can react to sperm, especially in early pregnancy and in such situation the woman complains of lower abdominal pain after sex.

“We advise that the couple use condom, because the sperm can cause this reaction to the cervix. Sometimes it acts like a foreign object and can lead to spontaneous miscarriages.

“For such case, we say use protection until after five months of pregnancy.
“So, women should not go into vigorous sex because they hear others saying that the cervix will open fast following the number of sex you have during pregnancy.

“It will only open during spontaneous labour. We only induce the woman when it doesn’t open at the stage of serious labour,’’ Martins added.

Mrs Afolabi Tosin, a pregnant woman, concurred with the doctor and said she usually experienced abdominal pain after having sex.

She said as a result, the presence of her husband frightened her.

Another pregnant woman, who simply gave her name as Chioma, said her husband’s friends said the cervix opened fast when the woman had frequent sex late in pregnancy.

“I feel like leaving the house whenever my husband is present, I have explained things to him but he doesn’t listen,’’ Chioma said.

She said that she had to report her husband to her doctor who counselled him (husband).