More Sex Could Be the Key to a Healthier Pregnancy

This could reduce your preeclampsia risk and support the overall healthy development of your baby. And it won’t cost you a dime. It turns out, biologically speaking, having sex is not only a mechanism for getting pregnant, but it’s also a way to keep that pregnancy healthy.

Research has revealed some surprising benefits to having sex while pregnant. But first, a few caveats. That sex has to be with the same partner for an extended period of time. And while we are certainly not here to discourage safe sex, know that a barrier contraceptive method like a condom or cervical cap will negate these health benefits. That’s because it all has to do with sperm.

Essentially, the more contact a woman’s cervix has with the seminal fluid that, the more primed her immune system is to tolerate it.

“The tolerant profile matters if fertilization takes place,” writes Sarah Robertson, PhD, a professor at the University of Adelaide, in a piece for The Conversation. Robertson co-authored a study about the relationship between sperm and a woman’s reproductive health. “Immune cells recognize the same transplantation antigens (sperm protein) on the developing baby, and so support the process through which the embryo implants into the wall of the uterus and forms a healthy placenta and fetus."

Not only that, but over time, repeated contact with the same male partner strengthens this tolerant immune response. "The immune system of a woman responds to her partner’s seminal fluid to progressively build the chances of creating a healthy pregnancy over at least several months of regular sex,” Robertson says.

One specific example of improved pregnancy health? Lower rates of preeclampsia, a pregnancy complication marked by high blood pressure that often leads to early deliveries. A University of Auckland study looked at women diagnosed with preeclampsia (which only affects about 5 percent of pregnancies), determining they were more than twice as likely to have had a short sexual relationship with their partner—less than six months. When that time period dipped below three months, preeclampsia risk shot to 13 percent.

There you have it: Proof that sex during pregnancy is not only safe but also beneficial. Of course, as your bump gets bigger, getting it on can prove trickier. These positions should help.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.