My best friend said I needed to “be careful” about having sex with my partner while I’m pregnant. I think she’s just worried because she was on bed rest during her last pregnancy. If I’m not high-risk, I don’t have to abstain from sex, right? Are there some modifications I have to make? I don’t want to give up all the fun!
–Brittany L.
You do not have to abstain from sex.
There are a couple of scenarios in which people are recommended to abstain from sex during pregnancy. First, some doctors will recommend abstaining during the first trimester with an IVF pregnancy. There is not, however, any evidence supporting this. It seems to be an “abundance of caution” recommendation, perhaps designed to avoid regret if people do miscarry. But there is no reason to think sex would impact miscarriage.
The second situation in which abstention would be recommended is if you are placed on “pelvic rest.” This most commonly happens with placenta previa, a condition where the placenta is fully or partially covering the cervix. When this happens, doctors worry about bleeding. They will avoid cervical exams, for example. There is a concern, as well, that the uterine contractions that might come with sex and orgasm could prompt bleeding. As a result, anything that might lead to orgasm is restricted. This is not based on hard data, though, more on inference.
However, if you are not in either of these situations (and maybe even if you are), sex is totally approved. Enjoy!
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