Prevalence of sexual dysfunction and related factors among married couples in Qazvin

Background: Sexual health is part of psychological health and the occurrence of any sexual health –associated disorder could have profound effect on physical health. More than half of the cases of sexual problems which can destroy the marital relationship and family life originate from lack of knowledge or insufficient awareness and incorrect attitude toward the sexual relationship. Objective: The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence and related factor of sexual dysfunction among married couples in Qazvin. Methods: This was a descriptive-analytic study performed on 350 men and women aged between 20-50 years in 2008. The cases were selected through a clustered, random sampling. Findings: Based on our results, more women (93.1%) reported sexual dysfunction compared to men (80.6%). Among men, %43.4 suffered premature ejaculation. The most common type of sexual dysfunction in women was the lack of orgasm and 62.4% of women had poor sexual desire. There were factors that might have affected the men and women’s sexual response. The most common factors frequently found in men were the occurrence of stress and anxiety during sexual intercourse (%38.9), while in women it was dysparonia (35.7%) or experience of pain during intercourse as the most common cause of poor sexual response. Conclusion: Sexual health disturbances are common among many couples in Qazvin. The multifaceted character of sexual dysfunctions makes it an important topic for adult sexuality education and counseling. As the sexual dysfunction has intense negative effects on psychological health of the family, the health authorities are recommended to develop more educational programs toward improving the situations.