A public health physician, Dr. Shehu Martins, has warned couples against frequent sex during pregnancy.
Martins, who works with St. Mary’s Catholic Hospital in Gwagwalada, Federal Capital Territory, made the statement on Friday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.
He said contrary to reports, sperm can threaten the foetus and lead to miscarriage.
“The cervix is hard structure created to hold the baby, fluid and placenta for nine months.
“A woman’s cervix goes through changes in late pregnancy and in early labour so that it can dilate to allow the baby pass through.
“Normally, it opens in three parts, that is when the woman is menstruating, during labour and having sex, but sex does not expand it,’’ he explained.
Though there are some that can react to sperm, especially in early pregnancy and in such situation the woman complains of lower abdominal pain after sex.
“We advise that the couple use condom, because the sperm can cause this reaction to the cervix. Sometimes it acts like a foreign object and can lead to spontaneous miscarriages.
“For such case, we say use protection until after five months of pregnancy.
“So, women should not go into vigorous sex because they hear others saying that the cervix will open fast following the number of sex you have during pregnancy.
“It will only open during spontaneous labour. We only induce the woman when it doesn’t open at the stage of serious labour,’’ Martins added.
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