23. Sex After Pregnancy Loss with David Allsop, MS, CFLE, CNP

David Allsop, MS, CFLE, CNP is completing his PhD in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

He is investigating how sexual wellbeing changes after pregnancy loss and hopes to better understand the experiences of the couples in the ALOE study.

ALOE stands for Acknowledging Loss Outcomes and Experiences.  Couples can participate in the ALOE study if they have:

• Have experienced a pregnancy loss within the past 4 months

• Have been in a relationship with their partner for a year or more

• Are not currently or recently receiving fertility treatment

Each partner must be willing to complete a survey (30-45 minutes) once a month for four months.  They will be compensated.  You can sign up here or contact the team by email: ALOE@Dal.ca

In this episode we talked about how sexual health impacts both mental health and happiness.  Samantha Joel's research about predictors of relationship quality is mentioned.  Sexual satisfaction is a predictor or a good relationship.

Researchers know little about how pregnancy loss affects couples’ sexual relationships, which makes it difficult for couples to get the help they need after a loss.  Studying this is fairly new.  There are only three empirical studies on this topic.  One trend in the data includes mothers having a decreased sexual desire after loss.

The research that showed 42% of surgeons had experienced pregnancy loss was in 2021 in JAMA Surgery.  You can access it here.

Natalie Rosen - Couples and Sexual Health Research

David Allsop's email: David.Allsop@dal.ca

Pause to Remember Resources for Healthcare Providers Grieving After Pregnancy and Infant Loss