A thematic analysis of couples’ sexual well-being following a recent pregnancy loss
Open accessAbstract
Pregnancy loss has been linked to poorer mental and relationship well-being. Given that strong sexual well-being is associated with better mental and physical health, understanding sexual well-being following a recent pregnancy loss may contribute to education and treatment models. Yet, little research has examined the effects of pregnancy loss on both couple members’ sexual well-being. Accordingly, using Marks’ team-based method for inductive thematic analysis, this qualitative study examined three open-ended questions regarding how individuals’ (N = 255 individuals, across 133 couples) sexual well-being reportedly changed – positively and negatively – and was supported following a recent pregnancy loss (i.e. within 5 months). We also considered if the identified themes differed in frequency between women and gender-diverse individuals who were pregnant when the loss occurred, and men, women, and gender-diverse partners who were not pregnant. Across participants, we found three themes regarding positive changes (e.g. Relationship growth; A new meaning to sex), five themes related to negative changes (e.g. Decreased desire and frequency; Health and body changes), four themes pertaining to support factors (e.g. Communicating openly; Offering support and respecting readiness), and three themes reflecting: No positive changes, No negative changes, and Nothing done to support sexual well-being. Results of this study may guide psychoeducation to increase awareness of potential changes following pregnancy loss and encourage supportive behaviors to benefit couple members’ sexual well-being.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Parents who suffer perinatal loss face relationship difficulties, with most couples suffering a decline in intimacy.
“as well as relationship difficulties, with most couples suffering from a decline in intimacy (Allsop et al., 2025; Schwenck et al., 2025).”
From Nurses' and midwives' experiences of supporting parents following perinatal bereavement: A qualitative systematic review (2026) · cites this paper as Schwenck et al., 2025
The paper describes relationship and sexual difficulties after pregnancy loss, but it does not establish that most couples experience a decline in intimacy. In “Pregnancy loss and sexual well-being,” it reports that 65% of women in an earlier study had lower sexual intimacy one week after miscarriage; at later follow-ups, most reported a sexual relationship that was the same or closer than before the loss. That short-term finding about women does not support the claim about most couples. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
S., N. L. (2017) · doi:10.1177/1609406917733847 · Cited by 14,051 · see citing works
The Need for a New Medical Model: A Challenge for Biomedicine
Engel, G. L. (1977) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.847460 · Cited by 12,887 · see citing works
Quenby, S., Gallos, I. D., Dhillon-Smith, R. K., Podesek, M., Stephenson, M. D., Fisher, J., Brosens, J. J., Brewin, J., Ramhorst, R., Lucas, E. S., et al. (2021) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(21)00682-6 · Cited by 1,560 · cited 2× · see citing works
“…may be contending with pregnancy-related biological changes (e.g., ongoing or newly developed lactation; Waldby et al., 2023), in addition to physical consequences of the loss itself (e.g., pain, bleeding, infections, undergoing medical procedures; Quenby et al., 2021; Sejourne et al., 2010).”
Complicated grief and related bereavement issues for DSM-5
Shear, M. K., Simon, N. M., Wall, M. M., Zisook, S., Neimeyer, R. A., Duan, N., Reynolds, C. F., Lebowitz, B. D., Sung, S. C., Ghesquiere, A., et al. (2011) · Depression and Anxiety · doi:10.1002/da.20780 · Cited by 1,022 · see citing works
Dyadic Coping and Its Significance for Marital Functioning.
Bodenmann, G. (2005) · American Psychological Association eBooks · doi:10.1037/11031-002 · Cited by 934 · see citing works
Gender and Emotion Expression: A Developmental Contextual Perspective
Chaplin, T. M. (2014) · Emotion Review · doi:10.1177/1754073914544408 · Cited by 649 · see citing works
Recurrent pregnancy loss: etiology, diagnosis, and therapy.
Ford, H., & Schust, D. J. (2009) · PubMed · Cited by 550 · see citing works
Gleason, M. E. J., Iida, M., Shrout, P. E., & Bolger, N. P. (2008) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.94.5.824 · Cited by 358 · see citing works
Dyadic Coping in Couples: A Conceptual Integration and a Review of the Empirical Literature
Falconier, M. K., & Kuhn, R. (2019) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00571 · Cited by 316 · see citing works
Qualitative Methods with Nvivo Software: A Practical Guide for Analyzing Qualitative Data
Allsop, D. B., Chelladurai, J. M., Kimball, E. R., Marks, L. D., & Hendricks, J. J. (2022) · Psych · doi:10.3390/psych4020013 · Cited by 302 · see citing works
Self-citationTurton, P., Hughes, P., Evans, C. D. H., & Fainman, D. (2001) · British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/bjp.178.6.556 · Cited by 254 · see citing works
Perinatal Loss and Parental Grief: The Challenge of Ambiguity and Disenfranchised Grief
Lang, A., Fleiszer, A. R., Duhamel, F., Sword, W., Gilbert, K. R., & Corsini-Munt, S. (2011) · OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying · doi:10.2190/om.63.2.e · Cited by 239 · see citing works
Is Good Sex Good for You? Rethinking Sexuality and Health
Diamond, L. M., & Huebner, D. M. (2012) · Social and Personality Psychology Compass · doi:10.1111/j.1751-9004.2011.00408.x · Cited by 209 · see citing works
Turesheva, A., Aimagambetova, G. N., Ukybassova, T., Marat, А., Kanabekova, P., Kaldygulova, L., Amanzholkyzy, A., Ryzhkova, S., Nogay, A., Khamidullina, Z., et al. (2023) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · doi:10.3390/jcm12124074 · Cited by 196 · see citing works
The association between daily stress and sexual activity.
Bodenmann, G., Atkins, D. C., Schär, M., & Poffet, V. (2010) · Journal of Family Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0019365 · Cited by 179 · see citing works
Marks, L. D. (2015) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-015-9342-x · Cited by 135 · see citing works
Brier, N. M. (2004) · Birth · doi:10.1111/j.0730-7659.2004.00292.x · Cited by 121 · see citing works
Recurrent miscarriage: Psychological and relational consequences for couples
Serrano, F., & Lima, M. L. (2006) · Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice · doi:10.1348/147608306x96992 · Cited by 112 · see citing works
The Role of Sexual Communication in Couples' Sexual Outcomes: A Dyadic Path Analysis.
Jones, A. C., Robinson, W., & Seedall, R. (2018) · Journal of Marital & Family Therapy · doi:10.1111/jmft.12282 · Cited by 106 · see citing works
Parental grief reactions and marital intimacy following infant death
Lang, A., & Gottlieb, L. N. (1993) · Death Studies · doi:10.1080/07481189308252620 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Sexual Orientation Disparities in Pregnancy and Infant Outcomes
Everett, B. G., Kominiarek, M. A., Mollborn, S., Adkins, D. E., & Hughes, T. L. (2018) · Maternal and Child Health Journal · doi:10.1007/s10995-018-2595-x · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Reproductive trauma: Psychotherapy with infertility and pregnancy loss clients.
Jaffe, J., & Diamond, M. O. (2010) · American Psychological Association eBooks · doi:10.1037/12347-000 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
Support following miscarriage: what women want
Séjourné, N., Callahan, S., & Chabrol, H. (2010) · Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology · doi:10.1080/02646830903487375 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
Interdependence in Close Relationships
Rusbult, C. E. (2003) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9780470998557.ch14 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Sexual Function and Fertility Quality of Life in Women Using In Vitro Fertilization
Smith, N., Madeira, J. L., & Millard, H. R. (2015) · The Journal of Sexual Medicine · doi:10.1111/jsm.12824 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
Swanson, K. M., Karmali, Z. A., Powell, S. H., & Pulvermakher, F. (2003) · Psychosomatic Medicine · doi:10.1097/01.psy.0000079381.58810.84 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Pregnancy and infant loss: a survey of families’ experiences in Ontario Canada
Watson, J., Simmonds, A., La Fontaine, M., & Fockler, M. E. (2019) · BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth · doi:10.1186/s12884-019-2270-2 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
The psychosocial effects of miscarriage: Implications for health professionals.
DeFrain, J., Millspaugh, E., & Xie, X. (1996) · Families, Systems, & Health · doi:10.1037/h0089794 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Exploring societal-level privacy rules for talking about miscarriage
Bute, J. J., Brann, M., & Hernandez, R. A. (2017) · Journal of Social and Personal Relationships · doi:10.1177/0265407517731828 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
What makes people ready to conceive? Findings from the International Fertility Decision-Making Study
Boivin, J., Buntin, L., Kalebic, N., & Harrison, C. (2018) · Reproductive Biomedicine & Society Online · doi:10.1016/j.rbms.2018.10.012 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Sex and Relationships in Later Life: Older Adults’ Experiences and Perceptions of Sexual Changes
Towler, L. B., Graham, C. A., Bishop, F. L., & Hinchliff, S. (2022) · The Journal of Sex Research · doi:10.1080/00224499.2022.2093322 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Craven, C. (2019) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780429431715 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Markin, R. D. (2016) · Psychotherapy · doi:10.1037/pst0000062 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Lacombe-Duncan, A., Andalibi, N., Roosevelt, L., & Weinstein-Levey, E. (2022) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0271945 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Zhang, Y.-X., Zhang, X.-Q., Wang, Q.-R., Yuan, Y.-Q., Yang, J.-G., Zhang, X.-W., & Li, Q. (2016) · Reproductive Health · doi:10.1186/s12978-016-0188-y · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Blackwell Handbook of Social Psychology: Interpersonal Processes
(2003) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9780470998557 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Understanding and Treating the Psychosocial Consequences of Pregnancy Loss
Diamond, D. J., & Diamond, M. O. (2014) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199778072.013.30 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Fernandes, J., Pedro, J., Costa, M. E., & Martins, M. V. (2021) · Psychology and Health · doi:10.1080/08870446.2021.1955115 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Shoikhedbrod, A., Rosen, N. O., Corsini‐Munt, S., Harasymchuk, C., Impett, E. A., & Muise, A. (2022) · The Journal of Sex Research · doi:10.1080/00224499.2022.2130132 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Harty, T., Trench, M., Keegan, O., O'Donoghue, K., & Nuzum, D. (2022) · Health Expectations · doi:10.1111/hex.13452 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Gravel, E. E., Reissing, E. D., & Pelletier, L. G. (2020) · Journal of Social and Personal Relationships · doi:10.1177/0265407520921558 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Stephanou, G. (2012) · Psychology · doi:10.4236/psych.2012.32023 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Gender inclusivity in women’s health research
Brotto, L. A., & Galea, L. A. M. (2022) · BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology · doi:10.1111/1471-0528.17231 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Peterson, Z. D., & Buday, S. K. (2018) · Sexual & Relationship Therapy · doi:10.1080/14681994.2018.1435863 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Azin, S. A., Golbabaei, F., Warmelink, J. C., Eghtedari, S., Haghani, S., & Ranjbar, F. (2020) · Fertility Research and Practice · doi:10.1186/s40738-020-00089-w · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Floyd, K., & Ray, C. D. (2016) · Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication · doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.013.157 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Inversetti, A., Perna, G., Lalli, G., Grande, G., & Simone, N. D. (2023) · Life · doi:10.3390/life13061268 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Sexualidade e depressão em gestantes com aborto espontâneo de repetição
Francisco, M. D. F. R. [., Mattar, R., Bortoletti, F. F., & Nakamura, M. U. (2014) · Revista Brasileira Ginecologia e Obstetrícia · doi:10.1590/s0100-720320140050.0004 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Mothers, milk and mourning: The meanings of breast milk after loss of an infant
Waldby, C., Noble‐Carr, D., & Carroll, K. (2022) · Sociology of Health & Illness · doi:10.1111/1467-9566.13551 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Narrating and Navigating through Miscarriage, Stigma, and Identity Changes
Fairchild, J. L., & Arrington, M. I. (2022) · Journal of Loss and Trauma · doi:10.1080/15325024.2022.2079593 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Birnbaum, G. E. (2023) · Current Opinion in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101594 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Ávila, M. C., Hernández-Sánchez, E., Fernández-Férez, A., Fernández-Medina, I. M., Fernández-Sola, C., Ferrer, M. B. C., & Ventura-Miranda, M. I. (2023) · Journal of Men s Health · doi:10.22514/jomh.2023.010 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Allsop, D. B., Huberman, J. S., Cohen, E., Bagnell, K. B., Péloquin, K., Cockwell, H., & Rosen, N. O. (2023) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-023-02697-1 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Comparison of Sexual Function and Intimacy in Women with and without Recurrent Miscarriage
Hasanpour, V., Keshavarz, Z., Azin, S. A., Ansaripour, S., & Ghasemi, E. (2019) · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · doi:10.22122/jims.v37i533.12181 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Racial and ethnic inequities in stillbirth in the US: Looking upstream to close the gap
Debbink, M. P., Stanhope, K. K., & HOGUE, C. J. R. (2023) · Seminars in Perinatology · doi:10.1016/j.semperi.2023.151865 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Addressing the sexual difficulties of pregnancy loss for couples in clinical care and research
Allsop, D. B., & Rosen, N. O. (2024) · The Journal of Sexual Medicine · doi:10.1093/jsxmed/qdae044 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Allsop, D. B., Péloquin, K., Cockwell, H., & Rosen, N. O. (2024) · The Journal of Sexual Medicine · doi:10.1093/jsxmed/qdae088 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
(2015) · Springer Publishing Company eBooks · doi:10.1891/9780826120298.0002 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Gaia, A. C. (2002). Understanding emotional intimacy: A review of conceptualization, assessment and the role of gender. International Social Science Review, 77(3/4), 151-170. https://doi.org/10.2307/41887101 · DOI
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Gao, H., Iwunze, C. J., An, X., Zhou, T., & Curtin, M. (2026) · International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances · doi:10.1016/j.ijnsa.2026.100538 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“…including grief, depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances (Burnett et al., 1997; Fern ´ andez-Basanta et al., 2020; Fern ´ andez-F ´ erez et al., 2021), as well as relationship difficulties, with most couples suffering from a decline in intimacy (Allsop et al., 2025; Schwenck et al., 2025).”
Bigras, N., Rosen, N. O., Dubé, J. P., Daspe, M., Bosisio, M., Péloquin, K., & Bergeron, S. (2025) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-025-03120-7 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
- Authors
- Schwenck, G. C., Allsop, D. B., Cohen, E., & Rosen, N. O.
- Affiliations
- Dalhousie University (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Rosen, Natalie O.
- Venue
- The Journal of Sex Research
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2024-12-20
- Volume
- 62
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1498-1513
- ISSN
- 0022-4499 (ISSN-L)
- 1559-8519
- OpenAlex
- W4405643190
- Cited by
- 2
- References
- 57
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1
- FWCI
- 0.59
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Locations
- The Journal of Sex Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DalSpace (Dalhousie University) (submittedVersion)
- OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- IWK Health Centre (1026674)
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (435-2017-0534)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Sexual function and dysfunction studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Reproductive Health and Contraception
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
- Keywords
- miscarriage, sexual well-being, couples, sexual desire, sexual frequency, gender-diverse people, relationship growth, sexual support, psychoeducation
- MeSH terms
- Abortion, Spontaneous, Adult, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Middle Aged, Pregnancy, Sexual Behavior, Sexual Partners, Qualitative Research, Young Adult
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
