Sexual satisfaction, intimacy and relationship of couples undergoing infertility treatment

Objective: To explore the infertility-related sexual and relationship concerns, sexual satisfaction and perceived intimacy of infertile couples. Background: Infertility is known to affect the psychosocial well-being of couples. Fertility treatment and the scheduled regime of sexual activities places further pressure on infertile couples. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. Infertile couples who attended fertility clinics for treatment between November 2015 and March 2016 were invited. A total of 113 pairs of infertile women and men participated in the study as couples. Results: A significantly higher proportion of women than men reported that their partner did not understand how the problem of fertility affected them and had worries that they were drifting apart in their relationship. Significantly more men than women considered their sex life to be lacking in quality. In terms of perceived intimacy, more women than men reported that they had disclosed their feelings and negative emotions to their partner. The correlation analysis revealed significant positive correlations between sexual (dis)satisfaction and infertility-related sexual and relationship concerns in couples. Conclusions: The results show that infertile couples suffer from infertility-related sexual and relationship concerns. An intervention study should be conducted to help these couples overcome such concerns.