Sexual Intercourse on Spontaneous Onset of Labor

NCT06850467 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: T00002515
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 224
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Women included in our study were recruited for a randomized trial on the effect of sexual intercourse to promote the onset of spontaneous labor. For this analysis, our sample was divided into two groups by randomization. The first group (experimental) followed the protocol (sexual intercourse 1 day out of 2 alternating with nipple stimulation alone for 15 minutes three times a day) for 2 weeks. In the control group, sexual relations were neither encouraged nor discouraged. Spontaneous labor prior to the date of scheduled labor induction was the primary outcome. We consider that the result is statistically significant differences when P \< 0.05.

Conditions

Sexual Intercourse; Spontaneous Labor

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• spontaneous onset of labor

  The judgment criterion is the spontaneous onset of labor defined by effective uterine contractions leading to cervical modification (a favorable Bishop score, i.e. greater than 5), and without resorting to treatment (prepedil gel, maturation by probe, cytotec, etc.) during the protocol (during the 15 days of the protocol) or after the end of the protocol and up to 41 weeks.

  the spontaneous onset of laborduring the protocol (during the 15 days of the protocol) or after the end of the protocol and up to 41 weeks.

Study Arms (2)

Sexual intercourse protocol

EXPERIMENTAL

Our sample was divided into 2 groups by randomization. The first group (interventional) followed the protocol for 2 weeks. These women were asked to keep a daily diary to record coitus and orgasm activities: the rhythm of sexual intercourse, the nature of the intercourse which must be complete and without a condom.

Behavioral: Sexual intercourse protocol

Control group

NO INTERVENTION

In the control group, sexual intercourse was neither encouraged nor discouraged.

Interventions

Sexual intercourse protocol BEHAVIORAL

The study involved pregnant women who were randomly assigned to 2 groups. The protocol involved engaging in sexual intercourse and nipple stimulation 3 times per day for two consecutive weeks with the consecutive days of sexual intercourse and days of nipple stimulation being different. Patients documented their coital activities as well as the frequency of orgasms in their daily journal. There were no prohibitions regarding or promotions of sexual activities for the control group. The main outcome was the onset of labor, which was defined as the presence of effective uterine contraction with changes of the cervix (Bishop score \> 5) without using the induction treatments during protocol time or until 41 weeks of pregnancy.

Sexual intercourse protocol

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 45 Years
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• We included pregnant women (primiparous or multiparous) who presented to the perinatal consultation of the maternity and neonatology center of Tunis. Their pregnancies are evolving singleton, low risk, with intact membranes and cephalic presentation.

You may not qualify if:

• pregnancy pathologies: pregnancy-induced hypertension, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, pregnancy-induced cholestasis, IUGR.
• maternal pathologies: epilepsy, type 1 or 2 diabetes.
• contraindications to vaginal delivery: placenta previa or accreta, history of two (or more) cesarean sections, breech or transverse presentation.
• hospitalizations and/or increased monitoring during pregnancy related to a threat of premature delivery, undetermined bleeding, sexually transmitted diseases, fetal pathologies and/or malformations.
• Patients who did not follow the protocol for any reason.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Faculty of Medicine of Tunis: lead

Study Sites (1)

Manouba 2010 Tunisia

Tunis6-TUNISIA, Tunis Governorate, 2010, Tunisia

Location

Related Publications (17)

• Goodlin RC, Keller DW, Raffin M. Orgasm during late pregnancy. Possible deleterious effects. Obstet Gynecol. 1971 Dec;38(6):916-20. No abstract available.

  PMID: 5125443 BACKGROUND

• Tomlinson AJ, Colliver D, Nelson J, Jackson F. Does sexual intercourse at term influence the onset of labour? A survey of attitudes of patients and their partners. J Obstet Gynaecol. 1999 Sep;19(5):466-8. doi: 10.1080/01443619964210.

  PMID: 15512366 BACKGROUND

• Singh N, Tripathi R, Mala YM, Yedla N. Breast stimulation in low-risk primigravidas at term: does it aid in spontaneous onset of labour and vaginal delivery? A pilot study. Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:695037. doi: 10.1155/2014/695037. Epub 2014 Nov 27.

  PMID: 25525601 BACKGROUND

• Di Lieto A, Miranda L, Ardito P, Favale P, Albano G. Changes in the Bishop score induced by manual nipple stimulation. A cross-over randomized study. Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol. 1989;16(1):26-9.

  PMID: 2713990 BACKGROUND

• Adewole IF, Franklin O, Matiluko AA. Cervical ripening and induction of labour by breast stimulation. Afr J Med Med Sci. 1993 Dec;22(4):81-5.

  PMID: 7839936 BACKGROUND

• Salmon YM, Kee WH, Tan SL, Jen SW. Cervical ripening by breast stimulation. Obstet Gynecol. 1986 Jan;67(1):21-4.

  PMID: 3940333 BACKGROUND

• Kurt B, Demirel G, Caglayan IS, Doganer A. The Effect on the Birth Process of Endogenous Oxytocin Release Via Coitus at Home in Pregnant Women in the Latent Phase. Z Geburtshilfe Neonatol. 2023 Apr;227(2):134-140. doi: 10.1055/a-2019-5031. Epub 2023 Feb 20.

  PMID: 36808611 BACKGROUND

• Foumane P, Mboudou ET, Sama JD, Baba S, Enama Mbatsogo BA, Ngwana L. Sexual activity during pregnancy and prognosis of labor in Cameroonian women: a cohort study. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2014 Sep;27(13):1305-8. doi: 10.3109/14767058.2013.856412. Epub 2013 Nov 13.

  PMID: 24134484 BACKGROUND

• Castro C, Afonso M, Carvalho R, Clode N, Graca LM. Effect of vaginal intercourse on spontaneous labor at term: a randomized controlled trial. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2014 Dec;290(6):1121-5. doi: 10.1007/s00404-014-3343-0. Epub 2014 Jul 18.

  PMID: 25033717 BACKGROUND

• Carbone L, De Vivo V, Saccone G, D'Antonio F, Mercorio A, Raffone A, Arduino B, D'Alessandro P, Sarno L, Conforti A, Maruotti GM, Alviggi C, Zullo F. Sexual Intercourse for Induction of Spontaneous Onset of Labor: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. J Sex Med. 2019 Nov;16(11):1787-1795. doi: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2019.08.002. Epub 2019 Sep 11.

  PMID: 31521572 BACKGROUND

• Tan PC, Yow CM, Omar SZ. Effect of coital activity on onset of labor in women scheduled for labor induction: a randomized controlled trial. Obstet Gynecol. 2007 Oct;110(4):820-6. doi: 10.1097/01.AOG.0000267201.70965.ec.

  PMID: 17906015 BACKGROUND

• Tan PC, Yow CM, Omar SZ. Coitus and orgasm at term: effect on spontaneous labour and pregnancy outcome. Singapore Med J. 2009 Nov;50(11):1062-7.

  PMID: 19960160 BACKGROUND

• Grivell RM, Reilly AJ, Oakey H, Chan A, Dodd JM. Maternal and neonatal outcomes following induction of labor: a cohort study. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2012 Feb;91(2):198-203. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0412.2011.01298.x. Epub 2011 Nov 15.

  PMID: 21995778 BACKGROUND

• Kiesewetter B, Lehner R. Maternal outcome monitoring: induction of labor versus spontaneous onset of labor-a retrospective data analysis. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2012 Jul;286(1):37-41. doi: 10.1007/s00404-012-2239-0.

  PMID: 22298204 BACKGROUND

• Christensson K, Nilsson BA, Stock S, Matthiesen AS, Uvnas-Moberg K. Effect of nipple stimulation on uterine activity and on plasma levels of oxytocin in full term, healthy, pregnant women. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 1989;68(3):205-10. doi: 10.3109/00016348909020990.

  PMID: 2618602 BACKGROUND

• Kafaei Atrian M, Sadat Z, Rasolzadeh Bidgoly M, Abbaszadeh F, Asghari Jafarabadi M. The association of sexual intercourse during pregnancy with labor onset. Iran Red Crescent Med J. 2014 Dec 26;17(1):e16465. doi: 10.5812/ircmj.16465. eCollection 2015 Jan.

  PMID: 25763253 BACKGROUND

• Templeton AA, Cooper I, Kelly RW. Prostaglandin concentrations in the semen of fertile men. J Reprod Fertil. 1978 Jan;52(1):147-50. doi: 10.1530/jrf.0.0520147.

  PMID: 621688 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Coitus

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Sexual Behavior; Behavior

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Prof

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 5, 2025
• First Posted: February 27, 2025
• Study Start: September 24, 2021
• Primary Completion: September 24, 2022
• Study Completion: February 24, 2023
• Last Updated: February 27, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-02

Locations

TU (1)