Unit of Andrology and Endocrinology of Reproduction, Department of Experimental Medicine, University Medical School, 06129, Perugia, Italy.
Section of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Perugia, University Medical School, 06129, Perugia, Italy.
J Endocrinol Invest. 2021 Oct;44(10):2071-2102. doi: 10.1007/s40618-021-01581-w. Epub 2021 May 6.
Infertility represents a peculiar social burden affecting more than 15% of couples, provoking it a real threat to the general quality of life and to the sexual health. The medicalization (diagnosis, therapy and follow up) of the lack of fertility is frequently a challenge in term of personal and couple's involvement. In particular, while the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) has allowed many infertile couples to achieve pregnancy, the therapeutic process faced by the couple bears a strong psychological stress that can affect the couple's quality of life, relationship and sexuality. Despite infertility affects both female and male sexual health, only recently the interest in the effects of ART on the couple's sexuality has grown, especially for women.
A literature research on the sexual dysfunction in fertility care and particularly in ART setting was performed.
Literature largely found that intimacy and sexuality appear specifically impaired by intrusiveness of treatments and medical prescriptions. Moreover, there is a close relationship between emotional, psychological and sexual aspects, which can be integrated in the new concept of Inferto-Sex Syndrome (ISS) that can impair the ART treatment outcomes. Evidence demonstrates that the assessment of sexual function is necessary in couples undergoing diagnosis of infertility and ART.
A close relationship between infertility and sexuality, both in the female and male partners, was detected. ART treatments may heavily impact on the couple's psychosexual health. A couple-centred program for the integrated management of psychological and sexual dysfunction should be considered in the context of ART programs.
不孕不育代表了一种特殊的社会负担，影响了超过 15%的夫妇，因此对整体生活质量和性健康构成了真正的威胁。生育能力不足的医学化（诊断、治疗和随访）常常是个人和夫妇参与的挑战。特别是，虽然辅助生殖技术（ART）使许多不孕夫妇能够怀孕，但夫妇面临的治疗过程带来了强烈的心理压力，可能会影响夫妇的生活质量、关系和性健康。尽管不孕不育会影响女性和男性的性健康，但直到最近，人们才对 ART 对夫妇性健康的影响产生了兴趣，尤其是对女性而言。
对生育护理中特别是在 ART 环境下的性功能障碍进行了文献研究。
文献广泛发现，治疗和医疗处方的侵入性会特别损害亲密关系和性。此外，情感、心理和性方面之间存在密切关系，可以整合到新的 Inferto-Sex 综合征（ISS）概念中，这会影响 ART 治疗效果。有证据表明，对正在接受不孕不育和 ART 诊断的夫妇进行性功能评估是必要的。
在女性和男性伴侣中都发现了不孕不育和性之间的密切关系。ART 治疗可能会对夫妇的心理性健康产生重大影响。ART 项目中应考虑以夫妇为中心的方案，对心理和性功能障碍进行综合管理。
