Validating the Sexual Distress Scale Among Pregnant and Postpartum Couples

The perinatal period—pregnancy through the first 12 months postpartum—is a vulnerable time for couples’ sexual relationships (Fitzpatrick et al., 2021; McBride & Kwee, 2017). One change that both partners report is heightened sexual distress—worries, anxiety, frustration, and feelings of inadequacy or bother related to their sexuality (Rosen et al., 2021; Schwenck et al., 2020). Indeed, a recent review paper suggested that 47-57% of birthing parents and 8-12% of their partners report clinically significant sexual distress (Fitzpatrick et al., 2021). Studies of pregnant people, as well as those who have given birth, find that both report clinically elevated sexual distress based on previously established clinical cut offs not specific to the perinatal period (Vannier & Rosen, 2017; Zamami et al., 2018). Partners also report greater sexual distress relative to those not in the perinatal period (Schwenck et al., 2020). Given that the perinatal period is associated with greater sexual distress and the importance of sexual distress for the diagnosis of sexual dysfunction (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; World Health Organization, 1992), validated measures of sexual distress such as the Sexual Distress Scale (SDS; Derogatis et al., 2002; Santos-Iglesias & Walker, 2018) for use in pregnant and postpartum samples of birthing and non-birthing partners are sorely needed. The objective of this study is to validate scores on the SDS-12, SDS-SF, and SDS-3 versions of the Sexual Distress Scale in samples of pregnant and postpartum cisgender women and birthing parents and their partners (non-birthing parents).