The effectiveness of couples’ relationship enrichment counseling on sexual function, satisfaction, shame and self-compassion in Iranian women with type 2 diabetes
M. Sharifi, C. A. Lewis, M. Firoozi, S. Khani, P. AfkariIntroduction
There is presently limited information on the sexual experiences of women with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in Iran.
Objectives
This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of couples’ relationship enrichment counseling on sexual function and sexual satisfaction, sexual shame and sexual self-compassion in women with T2DM.
Methods
A quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest and control group was employed. A purposive sample of 68 Iranian women with T2DM was randomly assigned to two groups: an intervention group (n = 34) and a control group (n = 34). The intervention group received six 90-minute sessions of couples’ relationship enrichment counseling, while the control group did not receive any training. Data were collected using self-report scales on women’s Sexual Function Index, Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire, Sexual Shame, and Sexual Self-Compassion. Then they were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance with repeated measurements.
Results
Before the intervention, there was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups in the scores obtained by the scales (p >.05). After the intervention, the mean scores on all scales except sexual shame were significantly different between the two groups, with the intervention group scoring significantly higher (p < .05).
Conclusions
Therefore, the findings provide evidence that couples’ relationship enrichment counseling may be useful for improving sexual function, sexual satisfaction, and sexual self-compassion among women with T2DM in Iran.
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared