Sexuality and Counseling in Postpartum Women

Abstract

The World Health Organization describes sexuality as a developmental process like pregnancy and postpartum period and the complete well-being of the individual in physical, emotional, mental and social harmony, noting that it is affected by many factors such as culture, society, family, hormones and daily activities. In other words, a woman's sexuality in the postpartum period is affected by the type of birth, interventions performed at birth, breastfeeding, a woman's body image, postpartum depression, and fear of becoming pregnant again. In addition, factors such as dyspareunia, decreased sexual desire, fatigue, and insomnia that occur in postpartum women lead to a decrease in the frequency of sexual intercourse. However, qualified sexual health education and counseling by nurses during this sensitive period can be effective in eliminating women's concerns, correcting misinformation and misconceptions, and preventing sexual problems. Therefore, this review discusses the factors affecting sexuality of women's sexuality in the postpartum period and the importance of nursing services in line with the current literature.