sexual function and its associated factors in Iranians with and without a recent history of COVID-19 infection

Abstract

Abstract This study was designed to investigate the sexual function and its associated factors in Iranian women and men with and without a recent history of contracting COVID-19. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 384 individuals from August 1 to December 25, 2021, in Iran. The respondents were asked to fill out the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire, the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire, the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), and Haj-Yahia’s questionnaire of violence against women. The results showed that mean FSFI score of female respondents was 20.39 ± 4.15. Women with a recent history of COVID-19 infection had significantly lower scores in the orgasm (P = 0.012) and satisfaction (P = 0.030) dimensions of FSFI. The mean IIEF score of male respondents was 17.79 ± 4.31. There was a significant difference between groups with and without a recent history of COVID-19 in terms of mean IIEF score and also mean scores of each dimension of IIEF (p = 0.004). Multivariate regression showed that women’s sexual function was associated with age and BDI-II score, whereas men’s sexual function was associated with the history of recent COVID-19 infection and the education level. In addition, the results suggest an increase in the prevalence of sexual dysfunction during the COVID-19 pandemic in both women and men. These results can help the country’s health policymakers to devise appropriate measures for mitigating the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being of communities, families, and individuals.