A study in the National Library of Medicine found that sexual difficulties often linger or worsen after treatment ends or a couple becomes parents.
The psychological stress caused by prolonged infertility may lead to the occurrence of sexual dysfunction, which in turn, further increases psychological distress (Creative Commons)
On 4 August, as the world celebrates World Sexual Health Day, a study has found that infertility — an important source of stress — could affect the sexual life of women.
The study, published in the National Library of Medicine, found that sexual difficulties often linger or get worse after treatment ends or a couple becomes parents.
As the infertility duration increases, the incidence of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) and psychological distress may increase, especially when the infertility duration is more than eight years.
“The psychological stress caused by prolonged infertility may lead to the occurrence of sexual dysfunction, which in turn further increases psychological distress,” said an author of the study.
The study also found that infertility treatments often bring stress, psychological demands, and physically intrusive procedures. These can affect a person’s sexual self-image, desire, and performance.
Sexual health is a state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being related to sexuality.
For many couples, making love is a way to connect emotionally. When their sex lives are associated with failure, frustration, anger, and resentment, they can lose this way of showing their emotions, and this causes problems with sexual health.
“For couples dealing with infertility, it is even more common. Often, people ignore or downplay the sexual problems of infertile couples. Many think that the issues will go away on their own or will not have long-term consequences,” said the study.
This was a case-control study in which 715 patients participated between 1 September and 25 December in 2020.
The study included patients diagnosed with infertility aged 20-45. The researchers measured female sexual functions and depression status.
The study found that as the number of years of infertility increased, the incidence of psychological depression increased significantly.
An analysis of the relevant factors affecting sexual functions revealed that when the infertility duration was greater than eight years, there was a significant increase in the incidence of sexual dysfunction.
“The state of depression was a risk factor for arousal disorder, coital pain, and the incidence of sexual dysfunction, but not for sexual desire,” said the study.
“A higher coital pain was significantly associated with infertility duration of greater than eight years,” among other things, it added.
“A higher likelihood of sexual dysfunction was observed in patients with increasing infertility duration, increasing age, lower frequency of sexual life, and high levels of psychological distress,” said the study.
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