The Sexual Satisfaction Level and Related Factors in Infertile Couples with Female Infertility

Document Type : Original Article (s)

Authors

1 PhD Student in Reproductive Health, Student Research Committee, Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Midwifery and Reproductive Health Research Center, Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

3 Clinical Research Development Center, Mahdiyeh Educational Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

4 Assistant Professor, Department of Basic Sciences, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Background: Having a child is the strongest desire in the world, and failure in it can be associated with stress, reduced interpersonal and social relationships, sexual dissatisfaction, and ultimately the breakdown of married life. The aim of this study was to evaluate sexual satisfaction and related factors in infertile couples with female infertility.Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 103 infertile couples (206 patients) referred to the infertility center of Tehran, Iran. The Data were collected by two questionnaires including demographic questionnaires and Larsons Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire.Findings: The total score of Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire was 75.00 (low sexual satisfaction) for infertile women, and 79.92 (moderate sexual satisfaction) for their husbands. Infertile women had significantly less sexual satisfaction than their husbands (P < 0.001). Women's sexual satisfaction had a statistically significant relationship with their education level, age of referral to infertility center, and infertility history (P < 0.001); and sexual satisfaction of infertile women's husbands had a statistically significant relationship with duration of infertility and age of marriage of women (P < 0.001).Conclusion: The present study showed that infertile women had low sexual satisfaction, and their husbands had moderate sexual satisfaction. The sexual satisfaction of infertile women was significantly lower than their husbands, which requires special attention.

Keywords


  1. Berek JS. Berek and Novak's Gynecology. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2019.
  2. Pedro J, Frederiksen Y, Schmidt L, Ingerslev HJ, Zachariae R, Martins MV. Comparison of three infertility-specific measures in men and women going through assisted reproductive technology treatment. J Health Psychol 2019; 24(6): 738-49.
  3. Mahadeen AI, Hamdan-Mansour AM, Habashneh SA, Dardas LA. Sexual satisfaction among infertile couples: demographics and psychosocial health factors. J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv 2020; 58(9): 40-7.
  4. Oindi FM, Murage A, Lema VM, Mukaindo AM. Association of female sexual dysfunction and fertility: A Cross Sectional Study. Fertil Res Pract 2019; 5: 12.
  5. Vahidi S, Ardalan A, Mohammad K. Prevalence of primary infertility in the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2004-2005. Asia Pac J Public Health 2009; 21(3): 287-93.
  6. Direkvand Moghadam A, Delpisheh A, Sayehmiri K. The prevalence of infertility in Iran, a systematic review. Iran J Obstet Gynecol Infertil 2013; 16(81): 1-7. [In Persian].
  7. Jamshidimanesh M, Alimanesh N, Behbodi Moghaddam Z, Haghani H. Effect of an educational package on self-efficacy of infertile women. Payesh 2015; 14(2): 227-37. [In Persian].
  8. Kushwaha C, Sinha P, Gupta U, Srivastava K. Impact of infertility on marital relationships among infertile couples attending OPD of a tertiary health care centre. Int J Reprod Contracept Obstet Gynecol 2018; 7(3): 1164-7.
  9. Mollaiynezhad M, Jafarpour M, Jahan Far S, Jamshidee R. Infertility related stress and marital life in Iranian infertile women who referred to Isfahan infertility treatment clinic. J Reprod Fertil 2001; 2(1): 26-39.
  10. Bokaie M, Simbar m, Yassini Ardekani SM, Alavi-Majad H. Does infertility influence couples’ relationships? A qualitative study. J Qual Res Health Sci 2020; 6(1): 63-77. [In Persian].
  11. Keramat A, Masoomi SZ, Mousavi SA, Poorolajal J, Shobeiri F, Hazavhei SM. Quality of life and its related factors in infertile couples. J Res Health Sci 2014; 14(1): 57-63.
  12. Masoumi SZ, Garousian M, Khani S, Oliaei SR, Shayan A. Comparison of quality of life, sexual satisfaction and marital satisfaction between fertile and infertile couples. Int J Fertil Steril 2016; 10(3): 290-6.
  13. Bahrami N, Satarzadeh N, Ranjbar Kouchaksaraei F, Ghoujazadeh M. Comparing depression and sexual satisfaction in fertile and infertile couples. J Reprod Fertil 2007; 8(1): 52-9.
  14. Amiri M, Khosravi A, Chaman R, Vahedi H, Sadeqi Z. Sexual satisfaction and influencing factors in women with fertility problems. Sex Disabil 2016; 34(3): 341-8.
  15. Yangin H, Kukulu K, Gulsen S, Aktas M, Sever B. A survey on the correlation between sexual satisfaction and depressive symptoms during infertility. Health Care Women Int 2016; 37(10): 1082-95.
  16. Lee TY, Sun GH, Chao SC. The effect of an infertility diagnosis on the distress, marital and sexual satisfaction between husbands and wives in Taiwan. Hum Reprod 2001; 16(8): 1762-7.
  17. Shafie Amiri M, Abolmaali K. Comparison of family efficiency with sexual satisfaction and mental health between fertile and infertile couples of Ayatollah Rouhani Hospital in Babol. Proceedings of the 6th National Congress on Family Pathology; 2014; May 6-7; Tehran, Iran. [In Persian].
  18. Kim M, Moon SH, Kim JE. Effects of psychological intervention for Korean infertile women under In Vitro Fertilization on infertility stress, depression, intimacy, sexual satisfaction and fatigue. Arch Psychiatr Nurs 2020; 34(4): 211-7.
  19. Nourani Sad Aldin SH, Joneydi E, Shakeri MT, Mokhber N. Sexual satisfaction in fertile and infertile women attending state clinics in Mashad. J Reprod Fertil 2010; 10(4): 269-77.
  20. Gulec G, Hassa H, Yalcin EG, Yenilmez C. The effects of infertility on sexual functions and dyadic adjustment in couples that present for infertility treatment. Turk Psikiyatri Derg 2011; 22(3): 166-76.
  21. Saleh R, El-Dawla R, Abdel-Latif A, Abo-Elhamd M, Nada E, Abdel-Karim M. Negative effects of male sexual dysfunction on female sexual response: Results of a direct questionaire of 521 married women from upper Egypt. Fertility and Sterility 2009; 92(3): S19.
  22. Elia J, Delfino M, Imbrogno N, Mazzilli F. The impact of a diagnosis of couple subfertility on male sexual function. J Endocrinol Invest 2010; 33(2): 74-6.