title: Procreative sex in infertile couples: the decay of pleasure?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infertility represents a major challenge to the emotional balance and sexual life of couples, with long-lasting and gender-specific effects. The objective of this study is to explore personality features of infertile patients and detect possible sexual disorders in couples undergoing infertility treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective study 60 infertile couples and 52 fertile control couples were asked to complete standardized and validated questionnaires: the Adjective Check List (ACL) to enquire about personality features and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) or the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) to assess sexual functioning of female and male partners. The study population was divided into 3 groups: Group A (N = 30, recently diagnosed infertile couples) Group B (N = 30, infertile couples already undergoing Intrauterine Insemination) and Group C (N = 52, fertile control group).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Infertile patients did not display any distinguishing personality features. Regarding sexual function, men of all the three groups scored higher in both questionnaires (sexual satisfaction, desire and orgasm) than their female partners. Comparing results between groups, Group A male partners obtained lower scores in all the subscales. Women belonging to Group A and Group B showed an impairment of sexual arousal, satisfaction, lubrification and orgasm when compared to fertile controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even if at the very first stages of infertility treatment no personality disturbances can be detected, the couples' sexual life is already impaired with different sexual disorders according to gender.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Advanced Therapies, Section of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ferrara, Italy. roberto.marci@unife.it
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marci
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Graziano
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Piva
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lo Monte
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Soave
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giugliano
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mazzoni
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Capucci
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carbonara
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caracciolo
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Patella
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D057189:Checklist; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000523:psychology*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011446:Prospective Studies; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires