SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION AND ITS RELEVANCY TO INFERTILITY

Abstract

Globally 8-12% of couples experience difficulty conceiving a child. Although assisted reproduction technology (ART) provides the possibility of achieving pregnancy, almost 40% of people undergoing ART still cannot conceive. Infertility has been describes as a stressor and a life crisis for individuals or couples, which results in a lower quality of life and marital conflicts. Healthy sexuality is a central to psychological well-being and quality of life. Sexuality is not just the state of being physical able to perform a sex act or to conceive a child, but as an integral component of human life with multidimensional content. The relationship between infertility and sexuality were discussed using the following themes. (1) How is sexual self concept in infertile individual and their partners? (2) Doses infertility have a negative impact on the sexual relationship of infertile couples? (3) Is sexual function affected by infertility? All dimensions of sexual function (desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction) were lower in infertile women as compared to fertile women. Sexuality can be greatly affected by infertility and its treatment. The reciprocal relations between sexual self concept, sexual relationship and sexual function in the context of infertility, necessary for further research examine. Moreover, the sexuality of infertile subjects might be influenced by their partner’s reaction.