Maternal health experts have cautioned pregnant women to stop engaging in sexual activity from the 36th week of pregnancy, citing potential health risks for both the mother and baby.
The specialists noted that while sex during pregnancy is generally safe for most women, it should be approached with caution as delivery nears.
They explained that the decision to continue sexual relations should depend on medical history and professional guidance.
Their advice comes amid ongoing public debate and widespread myths suggesting that sexual intercourse in late pregnancy can help induce labour.
Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr. Joseph Akinde said couples are strongly advised to discontinue intercourse about four weeks before delivery to reduce the risk of infection.
According to him, “Women are advised to stop intercourse from about 36 weeks onwards to minimise the risk of infection. That is the main reason.”
He added that although semen contains prostaglandins substances believed to help soften the cervix there is no conclusive evidence that sexual activity speeds up labour.
“There are suggestions that the prostaglandin contained in semen might help the cervix become ready for labour, but that evidence is not solid. It is only speculative,” Akinde stressed.
Furthermore, the doctor emphasized that the safest approach remains abstinence in the final weeks of pregnancy to protect maternal and fetal health.
Supporting the view, Professor Oluwarotimi Akinola, a former President of the Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria, said that while there is no strict ban on sex during pregnancy, caution is essential in both early and late stages.
“There is no advantage or disadvantage. There is nothing that prescribes sex during pregnancy as necessary, and there is nothing against it either,” he said.
Akinola added that sexual intercourse close to delivery could expose women to infections that might complicate childbirth.
“You don’t want to infect the person. Very early in pregnancy, there is the risk of miscarriage, and late in pregnancy, there is also the risk of infection. So we advise caution,” he noted.
He further dismissed traditional claims that semen helps prepare the cervix for delivery.
“Some people will tell you that sperm makes the neck of the womb softer, but most of those claims are anecdotal. It’s not a scientific prescription,” he explained.
However, he acknowledged that intimacy during pregnancy can strengthen family bonds, saying, “It’s more of a sociocultural and emotional thing, to keep the family intact, to maintain closeness, and avoid the strain of abstinence for nine months.”
In contrast, Professor Ernest Orji, another consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, said there is no medical reason to stop sex during pregnancy for most women.
He stated that sexual activity throughout pregnancy “helps in bonding, in sustaining marital relationships, and in reducing infidelity on the part of the man.”
According to Orji, abstinence is only necessary when the woman has a history of miscarriage, bleeding, or medical complications.
“The prostaglandins released from the sperm may induce some myocontractions in the womb.
That generally is not a problem for most women, but for those who have had miscarriages or vaginal bleeding, we advise that they should stop sexual intercourse,” he explained.
Moreover, Orji argued that sex late in pregnancy could help naturally trigger labour. “Even in late pregnancy, when it’s already towards nine months, we encourage couples to have sex regularly.
Studies have shown that it helps in softening the cervix and can help in starting labour naturally,” he said.
He also advised couples to modify sexual positions as pregnancy advances.
“Any position that is convenient for the woman is what they should use,” he added.
