Reducing Sexual Communication Anxiety of Women upon Marriage: A randomized quasi-experimental study from Iran

Abstract

Background: Lack of sexual knowledge or incorrect sexual information can lead to anxiety and fear of sexual communication and subsequent sexual dysfunction in marrying women. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of sexual cognition counseling on the sexual communication anxiety of women upon marriage. Methods: In this randomized quasi-experimental study 124 women upon marriage with poor sexual knowledge and attitudes, were randomly assigned into two groups of intervention and control group (62 in each group), using four randomized blocking. Data collected by Sexual Knowledge and Attitude (SKAS) and Sexual Communication Anxiety questionnaires. In the experimental group, five counseling sessions were held with the aim of promoting women sexual knowledge and attitude. Control group women did not receive any intervention. Results: The mean scores of sexual knowledge and sexual attitude of women in the experimental group were significantly increased from 30.02 ± 9.09 and 32.34 ± 6.09 to 34.35 ± 10.23 and 34.53 ± 6.92 after intervention respectively (p <0.05). The mean scores of sexual communication anxiety in the intervention group showed a significant decrease from 42.23 ± 10.63 to 40.47 ± 10.94 after the intervention (p <0.05). Conclusions: This study showed that increase of knowledge and improvement of sexual attitude can reduce the sexual communication anxiety of women upon marriage. Designing and implementing the effective interventions with the purpose of promoting the sexual knowledge in women and amending the false attitudes and beliefs may take some effective steps to protect and promote the sexual health in women, then the couples. This research was registered in Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT20120215009014N238).