The effectiveness of Pythagorean self-awareness intervention in improving the quality of sexual life of women with multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Background and aims: The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Pythagorean self-awareness intervention in improving the quality of sexual life of women with multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, among women with MS in Isfahan province who had medical records in Ayatollah Kashani Hospital and Isfahan MS Center, 150 female patients were enrolled by convenience sampling and screened by Sexual Quality of Life-Female (SQOL-F). After screening, 46 patients, whose quality of sexual life score was lower than the mean score of 63, were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups, each comprising 23 patients. The experimental group received the Pythagorean self-awareness intervention, while the control group received no intervention. Both groups were assessed at pre-test, post-test, and two follow-up stages. The data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). Results: The results revealed that the quality of sexual life of the experimental group improved after the intervention (P<0.001). Compared to the pre-test, a significant difference was observed in its components, namely, psychosexual feelings, sexual and relationship satisfaction, self-worthlessness, and sexual repression (P<0.001). Conclusion: It seems that Pythagorean self-awareness intervention effectively improves the quality of sexual life of women with MS. In addition to the overall improvement in the quality of sexual life, a significant difference was observed in its components compared to the pre-test after the intervention. Therefore, it is essential to plan psychological interventions to improve these women’s quality of sexual life.