Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a global public health crisis, has severe consequences for individual’s lives and their mental health worldwide. furthermore, the emotional distress and psychological burden of COVID-19 might be intensified in pregnant and lactating women as susceptible groups. This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on psychological health, sexual function, and quality of life (QoL) in Iranian pregnant and lactating women and compare the results with non-pregnant / non-lactating women.

Method: This comparative cross-sectional study was carried out on 200 pregnant women, 201 lactating women, and 203 non-pregnant / non-lactating women from May to Jun 2020. The sexual function was assessed and compared using Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire. The participants were also asked to fill out the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) to evaluate QOL, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) for assessing depression and anxiety. Finally, the results had been compared using One-way ANOVA to reveal the statistical differences between these three groups.

Result: With regard to FSFI, the three groups were statistically significant in all domains except lubrication and satisfaction, and the mean values were found to be higher in the non-pregnant / non-lactating women (P≤0.05). There was a significant difference between the three groups in SF-12 scores (68.29±9.47, 74.18±12.65, 79.03±10.48; P˂0.001). The mean scores of HADS in non-pregnant / non-lactating women were lower (12.11 ± 6.72, 11.98 ± 8.44, and 9.38 ± 6.2; P<0.001).

Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic increases the risk of depression, anxiety, sexual dysfunction, and worsens QoL in pregnant and lactating women. This highlights the importance of psychological interventions in the maternal population in the amid of pandemic.

Keyword: COVID-19, Pregnant women, Lactating women, Sexual function, Quality of life, Psychological health