The effect of sexual health counseling on women’s sexual satisfaction in postpartum period: A randomized clinical trial

Many couples experience decreasing sexual satisfaction in postpartum period. Various sexual health counseling approaches have been designed for postpartum women to address their common sexual concerns and problems. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Women’s Postpartum Sexual Health Program (WPSHP) on women’s sexual satisfaction in postpartum period. The study was a single blind randomized clinical trial on 75 postpartum women aged 18–35 yr with low sexual satisfaction who attended urban health-care centres in Mashhad, Iran in 2016. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21, and the Larson Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire. The intervention group received counselling based on the WPSHP, a four-session, group- and couples-based program. The control group  just received postpartum routine care. Both the intervention and control groups were homogeneous for demographic variables. According to the Mann-Whitney test, sexual satisfaction score in the  intervention group was significantly higher than the control group 8 weeks after the intervention (p < 0.001). According to the Wilcoxon test, there was a significant difference in the mean score of sexual satisfaction before and after intervention in the intervention group (p < 0.001). WPSHP caused higher levels of sexual satisfaction. It is therefore recommended to use this program in women during the postpartum period to promote their sexual satisfaction.