Sexual function and sexual satisfaction in individuals undergoing infertility: A systematic review

Abstract

Background: Although sexual function (SF) and sexual satisfaction (SS) are the essential factors influenced negatively by infertility and may be associated with delaying or disrupting infertility treatment, no systematic review has assessed the results of these studies so far. Objective: The present study aimed to systematically review published interventional research regarding SF and SS among infertile individuals. Materials and Methods: In this systematic review, the databases of PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, PsycInfo, Google Scholar, and SID were searched to retrieve the relevant studies in Persian and English languages up to August 2021. Results: 23 interventional studies were included in this systematic review, of which only 2 were low quality based on the critical appraisal skills program checklist. The interventions of the included studies were classified into 2 main categories: educational and psychological interventions for increasing the SF and SS among infertile women or couples. Conclusion: There was no clear evidence to understand the most effective method for increasing SF and satisfaction among couples with infertility. Based on the results of the included studies, all of them showed the effectiveness of the various interventions performed on sexual health dimensions among couples with infertility. This systematic review showed that most SF studies were educational, whereas the SS were more psychologically interventional. Conducting standardized and high-quality randomized controlled trials focusing on SF and SS is recommended.

Keywords

• sexual health, sexual satisfaction, psychological intervention, early intervention, educational.