Sexual function among distressed women struggling to conceive without medical intervention

Infertility is disproportionately associated with distress in women, yet there has been limited research focusing on sexual function in this population. Two hundred and thirty women with infertility who were attempting to conceive without medical assistance were recruited via social media. Women completed the Fertility Quality of Life, Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Female Sexual Functioning Index, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Patient Health Questionnaire. Over half of the women with infertility met the clinical cut-off for sexual dysfunction. Sexual function was positively associated with relationship adjustment and infertility-related quality of life and negatively associated with anxiety and depression. Sexual function moderated the relationship between time trying to conceive and psychological outcomes. These findings highlight several domains of sexual functioning that could be manipulated via psychological interventions to potentially improve distress among women struggling to conceive.