Psychosexual care could protect and promote sexual well-being in women undergoing infertility treatment: A randomised controlled trial

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of psychosexual care using the conceptual framework of the Salutogenic Model in promoting sexual well-being in women undergoing infertility treatment. This was a two-armed parallel randomised controlled trial which conducted with seventy primary infertility women undergoing infertility treatment assigned to receive either psychosexual care (intervention group, n = 35) or routine care (control group, n = 35). The effects of psychosexual care were estimated by the t-test with the intention-to-treat principle. Sexual function was improved in the intervention group and significantly reduced in the control group. Sexual satisfaction was preserved in the intervention group and significantly reduced in the control group. Sexual esteem and self-efficacy significantly improved in women after psychosexual care compared with routine care. Although depression levels were improved in the intervention group, the difference in depression levels was not statistically significant between the intervention and the control groups. However, sense of coherence was significantly improved in the intervention group compared with the control group. Psychosexual care protected and promoted sexual well-being in women undergoing infertility treatment. Application of the health-oriented Salutogenesis Model may be useful to develop care interventions that enable women to reach a state of sexual well-being.

KEYWORDS:

• Health promotion
• psychosexual care
• sexual well-being
• sexual health
• salutogenesis

Acknowledgments

We appreciate all women who agreed to participate in this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Ethical approval

Ethical approval (No:331) from X University Clinical Research Ethics Committee was received and written permissions from X University Hospital were obtained.

Informed consent

Each participant was provided a study information sheet and signed an informed consent form prior to enrolment.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by Scientific Research Projects Coordinator Unit of Akdeniz University (Grant Number: TDK-2020-5383).NCT04612959. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04612959?term=sexual+well-being&draw=2&rank=1