Body image and sexual health in people who have lost a child in pregnancy, at birth or neonatally: A Danish descriptive cohort-study

Pregnancy loss may affect body image and sexual health, yet little is known about these changes. This study explored how people who lost a child during pregnancy, at birth, or neonatally perceived these aspects. Participants from the Danish "Life after the Loss" cohort (bereaved between gestational week 14 and one month after birth) completed a survey on body image and sexual health, including rating scales on perceived body image, the Body Image Quality of Life Inventory, and questions on sexual health. Among 219 participants, women who gave birth at the loss reported average but changed body image after the loss and a slightly negative impact on quality of life. Partners reported good and mostly unchanged body image after the loss without quality of life effects. Over the past year, most women reported reduced sexual desire and felt their needs were met; partners reported unchanged desire and unmet needs.