Background: Preeclampsia is one of the most important risk factors for maternal mortality in the world. The immune maladaptation theory suggests that the tolerance to paternal antigens, resulting from prolonged exposure to sperm, protects against the development of preeclampsia. Due to controversies in this regard the present study was conducted with main objective to determine the relationship between the extent of exposure to sperm, before pregnancy, and the risk of preeclampsia in pregnant women referring to Shabih-Khani maternity Hospital of Kashan during 2005-2006.

Materials and Methods: A case-control study was carried out on 150 mothers with preeclampsia (case group) and 150 mothers without preeclampsia (control group). Preeclampsia was determined by blood pressure≥ and proteinuria≥+1 by dipstick testing. The duration of sperm exposure prior to pregnancy, and the frequency and duration of the use of barrier method contraception before pregnancy were compared in the two groups. All results were analyzed using c ² , t-test , and Mann-Whitney U statistical test.

Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups in confounding variables. The mean duration of sperm exposure prior to pregnancy in the case and control groups was 11.4 ± 14 and 12.4 ± 13.8 months, respectively. Mann-Whitney U test showed that this difference was not significant. c ² statistical test appeared no significant difference between the two groups in barrier methods contraception (80 and 88 women in the case and control groups, respectively). Also Mann-Whitney U test showed that regarding duration of using barrier method contraception no important variation is evident between the case and control groups (25.8 ± 21.9 and 28.7 ± 23.7 months, respectively).

Conclusion: We concluded that pre exposure to sperm, frequency and duration of using barrier contraception are not effective in the etiology of preeclampsia.