Determination of the relationship between self-perception and sexual quality of life in pregnant women with hyperemesis gravidarum

The research was carried out to determine the relationship between self-perception and sexual quality of life in pregnant women with a diagnosis of Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG). 162 pregnant women who visited the Early Pregnancy Service of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Ankara Bilkent City Hospital with the diagnosis of HG and agreed to participate in the study participated in the study. The data were collected between September 1st,2021 and October 1st, 2022 by using an introductory information form developed by the researcher in line with the literature, Self-Perception of Pregnant Scale (SPPS), and Sexual Life Quality Scale (SLQS). Research data were analyzed with Frequency analysis (number, percentage, average), independent two-sample t-test, Mann Whitney U test, Kruskall Wallis H test, Dunn test, Duncan tesst, Spearman's rho correlation coefficient. As a result of the research, the mean value of the total score of SLQS was 43,89 (18-80); the mean maternity perception score of the SPPS pregnancy was 28 (17-28) and the body image mean score was 9 (5-16). While no statistically significant correlation was found between the total SLQS score and the score for maternity perception of pregnancy (p>0,05), it was concluded that there was a statistically significant negative and very weak correlation between the total SLQS score and the pregnancy body image score (p<0,05). According to the results of the research, the quality of sexual life increased as the body image scores of pregnant women with HG decreased, that is, as positive body image was observed during pregnancy. It is recommended that health professionals providing services in the fields of pregnancy monitoring evaluate the body and maternity perception levels of pregnant women and their sexual life quality in terms of improving the quality of life of the pregnant woman.