Association between Sexual Activity during Pregnancy, Pre- and Early-Term Birth, and Vaginal Cytokine Inflammation: A Prospective Study of Black Women.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to investigate the association between sexual activity during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes among Black women, and to explore whether vaginal cytokine inflammation mediates this association. Data from 397 Black pregnant women through questionnaires on sexual activity and vaginal biosamples during early (8-14 weeks) and late (24-30 weeks) pregnancy, and birth outcomes were analyzed. Using a data-driven approach, the study found that vaginal sex during late pregnancy was associated with spontaneous early-term birth (sETB, 38-39 completed weeks' gestation) (OR = 0.39, 95% CI: [0.21, 0.72], p-value = 0.003) but not with spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) (OR = 1.08, p-value = 0.86) compared to full-term birth. Overall, despite vaginal sex in late pregnancy s

SUBMITTER: Dougherty K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10379435 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature