Sexual problems are common in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF), according to researchers from Indiana University.
Nicole Smith, a doctoral student with the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at the Indiana University School of Public Health in Bloomington, and Jody Lyneé Madeira, associate professor in the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, presented their findings last fall at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association in San Francisco.
Their study found that for many women, infertility treatment lead to decreased sexual desire, interest, and satisfaction. They were also more likely to experience problems with orgasm and vaginal pain, and dryness when compared to a sample of women who weren’t undergoing IVF.
“With assisted reproductive technologies (ART), couples often report that they feel like a science experiment, as hormones are administered and sex has to be planned and timed. It can become stressful and is often very unromantic and regimented; relationships are known to suffer during the process,” Smith said in a press release.
IVF involves removing mature eggs from a woman’s ovaries and fertilizing them with sperm in a lab. The resulting embryo(s) are then placed in the woman’s uterus.
Smith and Madeira collected data from a variety of sources, including questionnaires from 270 women, interviews with 127 men and women who were trying to conceive through IVF, and interviews with 70 professionals that work with IVF patients.
Sexual problems occurred whether or not the infertility was caused by male factors, female factors, or factors related to both partners.
The researchers also found that women who were sexually active with a partner in the past month were more likely to masturbate and tended to report fewer problems.
Hormones used during IVF probably contributed to the women’s sexual problems, but the reasons for this are unclear, Smith and Madeira noted.
The authors encouraged physicians to discuss the sexual implications of IVF with couples up front and suggest helpful solutions, such as lubricants for vaginal dryness. Couples may also benefit from working with a sex therapist.
“There’s just a dearth of knowledge on how infertility affects sexual behavior,” Madeira said in a press release. “The focus is more likely to be on the social and support dimensions of the relationship, but sex is a big part of that. Just letting patients know they aren’t alone in this would be helpful.”
The study results are considered preliminary, as they have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Resources
American Public Health Association
Smith, Nicole, MPH, CHES, CPH and Jody Madeira, JD, PhD
“Utilizing Assisted Reproductive Technologies and the Impact on Sexual Function: Validating the SFQ Among a Sample of Infertile Women”
(Presentation abstract #260175. October 30, 2012)
https://apha.confex.com/apha/140am/webprogram/Paper260175.htmln
HealthDay via MedlinePlus
Preidt, Robert
“Couples' Sexual Relationships Can Suffer During IVF, Study Finds”
(November 2, 2012)
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_130947.html
Huffington Post
Pearson, Catherine
“IVF And Sex: How The Treatment Hurts Couples' Sex Lives”
(November 1, 2012)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/01/ivf-hurts-women-sex-life_n_2058481.html
Indiana University
“IU researchers discuss fresh food access, sex and IVF, smoke-free workplaces and more at APHA”
(Press release. October 30, 2012)
http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/23339.html
James, Tracy
“Sex and IVF: Does it have to be a drag?”
(Health and Vitality blog post. November 14, 2012)
https://iu.edu/~iunews/blogs/health-and-vitality/2012/11/14/sex-and-ivf-does-sex-have-to-be-a-drag/