title: Sexual satisfaction among involuntarily childless women: A cross-cultural study in Italy and Brazil.
abstract: Infertility has been negatively associated with sexual satisfaction. This study aimed to estimate the relation of infertility to sexual satisfaction from a cross-cultural perspective, comparing Italian and Brazilian women. Between June 2012 and January 2013, 528 women seeking assisted reproduction technology (ART) treatment in Italy (39%) or Brazil (61%) completed self-reports of sexual satisfaction (ISS) and infertility-related stress in the marital domain (IRS). IRS was the same across countries. ISS differed, with 34.31% of the Italians and 43.52% of the Brazilians being sexually dissatisfied at a clinical level (ISS score >30). Multiple logistic regression models showed that being sexually dissatisfied at a clinical level was associated with lower education and higher IRS among Italian women, regardless of having a diagnosed cause of infertility. It was instead associated with higher IRS only among the Brazilian women who had a diagnosed cause of infertility. These findings suggest that, regardless of nationality, sexual satisfaction and infertility-related stress need to be addressed in the treatment of infertile women turning to ART. However, as factors associated with these dimensions vary across countries, interventions to promote sexual satisfaction among infertile women should be adapted to their specific socio-cultural context.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Bologna , Bologna , Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gremigni
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Bologna , Bologna , Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Casu
authors.affiliation: b School of Medical and Health Sciences , Methodist University , São Paulo , Brazil.
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mantoani Zaia
authors.affiliation: b School of Medical and Health Sciences , Methodist University , São Paulo , Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Geralda
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Viana Heleno
authors.affiliation: c Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular & Critical Area Pathology , University of Pisa , Pisa , Italy.
authors.forename: Ciro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Conversano
authors.affiliation: d Ideia Fértil Institute and Graduate Program of Faculdade de Medicina do ABC , São Paulo , Brazil.
authors.forename: Caio Parente
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Barbosa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007558:Italy; D016015:Logistic Models; D008393:Marriage / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D009948:Orgasm; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / Q000523:psychology*; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Assisted reproductive technology; infertility-related stress; logistic regression; marital relationship; sexual satisfaction; women