Abstract
BackgroundPremature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a condition with impaired ovarian function that occurred in women before the age of 40. Considering that women with POI are in reproductive age and their fertility and sexual life are afflicted by this disorder directly, the present study aimed to investigate perception and experience of women with POI of sexual and reproductive health (SRH).MethodsThis is a qualitative that was implemented based on the conventional content analysis approach. The data were collected using semi-structured in-depth interviews with 16 women having POI, based on purposeful sampling and continued until data saturation. The participants were women with POI that referred to the three infertility center in Tehran, Iran. The audio recorded data were transcribed verbatim and then analyzed using conventional content analysis based on the method proposed by Zhang and Wildmouth.ResultsAfter content analysis of the interviews with a focus on the perception and experience of women with POI of SRH, four main categories emerged i.e. endangerment of women's health, psychological agitation, disruption of social life and disturbance in sexual life.ConclusionPOI affects different aspects of women SRH (women physical, psychological, social and sexual heath). Therefore, knowledge of patients' concerns by health professionals is helpful to improve service delivery and increasing the effectiveness of treatment interventions by a comprehensive health care attitude.
Highlights
Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a condition with impaired ovarian function that occurred in women before the age of 40 [1] and is identified by oligo/amenorrhea for at least 4 months, and an elevated FSH level > 25 IU/I on two occasions 4 weeks apart [2, 3]
Considering that women with POI are in reproductive age and their fertility and sexual life are afflicted by this disorder directly it seems, that is necessary to evaluate sexual and reproductive health as a qualitative study in these women
The POI diagnostic criteria was based on European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) [2] guideline and included: experiencing amenorrhea lasting at least 4 months before the age of 40 accompanied with two FSH serum levels of more than 25 mIU/ml, and tested with at least a 1-month interval [2] which was subsequently confirmed by a gynecologist
Summary
Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a condition with impaired ovarian function that occurred in women before the age of 40. Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a condition with impaired ovarian function that occurred in women before the age of 40 [1] and is identified by oligo/amenorrhea for at least 4 months, and an elevated FSH level > 25 IU/I on two occasions 4 weeks apart [2, 3]. Studies have showed that physical and psychological effects of menopause affect women’s health and reduce their quality of life [10, 11]. The physical effects of hormone depletion in these women, such as osteoporosis, can depend on factors such as race, diet, and lifestyle [12]. The other studies founded one of the patients’ complaints was the adverse effects of POI on their general health [13,14,15]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
