Psychological Burden in Couples with Infertility and Its Association with Sexual Dysfunction

This study aimed to assess the rate and level of depression, anxiety, and stress among people with infertility and the association between psychological disorders and sexual dysfunction. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated 255 couples with infertility undergoing examination at a university hospital between January and December 2017. The assessment tools included the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21, Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT), and International Index of Erectile Function-15 (IIEF-15). The rates and mean scores of depression, anxiety, and stress among wives were statistically significantly higher than among husbands. Additionally, there was a slight negative correlation between all these scores and FSFI score among wives. Similarly, these scores among husbands were slightly negatively correlated with IIEF-15 score and positively correlated with PEDT score. Development of a holistic approach to infertility management is necessary and psychological issues should be addressed together with sexual problems.