Depression Severity and Sexual Satisfaction in Fertile and Infertile Women in Iran: A Population-Based Case-Control Study

Depression and sexual dissatisfaction are among the most common psychological factors caused by infertility. Infertility is an essential topic in the Iranian culture, and many studies have already investigated it.

This study aimed to compare the depression severity and sexual dissatisfaction between fertile and infertile women in Iran.

This case-control study enrolled 180 infertile women and 540 fertile women in 2019. The participants were selected through multistage stratified and cluster sampling methods. For each infertile woman, three fertile women were randomly selected. The data collection instruments consisted of a demographic form, the Depression Inventory Scale (Second Edition), and the Linda Berg Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire. The multivariate marginal model and SPSS version 21 were used for data analysis at a significance level of 0.05.

After adjustment for confounding variables, the marginal model showed that the odds of depression increased by approximately 21.305 times among cases compared to controls (OR = 21.305, 95% CI = 14.75 - 32.021, P < 0.001). This model also found that by moderating the effects of confounding variables, infertility increased the odds of low sexual satisfaction by approximately 15.560 times (OR = 15.560, 95% CI = 5.089 - 47.571, P < 0.001). The chi-square test showed a significant relationship between infertility treatment and depression severity in infertile women (P = 0.001).

The overall depression severity and sexual dissatisfaction were higher in the infertile group than in the fertile one. Most cases of severe depression were observed in IVF clinics with higher depression levels. The study may help reveal infertility’s psychological and social aspects in Iran.