PSYCHOSEXUAL CARE COULD PROTECT and PROMOTE SEXUAL WELL-BEING in WOMEN UNDERGOING INFERTILITY TREATMENT: a RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Abstract

ABSTRACT Sexual well-being plays a central role in promoting the health and well-being of women undergoing infertility treatment. However, because of the predominance of the biomedical approach, most studies focus on women’s sexual function levels and how to improve them. There is little knowledge about how sexual well-being could be promoted in infertile women by using a health-oriented approach, as presented in the Model. 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. Seventy women with primary infertility undergoing infertility treatment were randomly assigned to receive either psychosexual care (intervention group, n = 35) or routine care (control group, n = 35). The psychosexual care program lasted 4 weeks and was aimed at delivering knowledge, support, and skills that may provide resources to women for the promotion of their sexual well-being. The primary outcome was sexual well-being; secondary outcomes included depression and sense of coherence. 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.