Objectives: Infertility is one of the important complications in gynecology and the aim of the present study was to investigate the etiology and risk factors associated with infertility in the southern region of Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in infertility centers of Hormozgan University of Medical Science (HUMS). Totally, 250 infertile couples were included. The variables including socio-demographic characteristics, smoking, body mass index (BMI), and infertility status (e.g., type of fertility, duration, etc.) were assessed by a self-administered and validated questionnaire. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS version 22.0. Results: The most common causes of male and female infertility were varicocele (49.4%) and ovulation disorders (57.5%), respectively. There was a significant association between female factor infertility and level of education, age of women, women’s age at marriage, number of abortions, alcohol consumption, presence of an underlying disease, and BMI (P<0.005). There was also a significant relationship between male factor infertility and men’s job, addiction, smoking, and presence of an underlying disease (P<0.005). Conclusions: Considering various risk factors for infertility, an important step forward can be taken towards reducing the incidence of these risk factors by providing different education classes during pre-marriage, pre-partum, pregnancy and postpartum periods so as to inform couples of controllable risk factors.

Aim: Sex differences in COVID-19 outcomes might be explained from a sex hormones (SexHs) perspective. Materials & methods: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE and Google Scholar were searched up... Lay abstract Female and male sex hormones (SexHs) play a pivotal role in the body’s defense against viral infections. SexHs and their binding molecules are among the main possible indicators of sex...

Dissatisfaction with an inividual's sex life is underlying factor that can lead to pornography addiction. The current research aims to understand the relationship between pornography use and sexual satisfaction. The pooled correlation coefficient with 95% confidence interval was calculated using random effects. The meta-regression method was used to examine factors affecting heterogeneity between studies and Egger's test was used to evaluate of publication bias. 41 studies with a total sample size of 70541 participants were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled estimate for the correlation coefficient in total, in male and in female -0.06 (95% CI: -0.09 to -0.02), -0.07 (95% CI: -0.16 to 0.02) and -0.04 (95% CI: -0.08 to -0.01). The pooled estimate of correlation coefficient was -0.04 (95% CI: -0.07 to -0.02) in cross-sectional, -0.12 (95% CI: -0.19 to -0.05) in cohort, 0.00 (95% CI: -0.15 to 0.15) in studies that used self-report questionnaire and -0.06 (95% CI: -0.08 to -0.03) in studies that used online survey. Based on the results of the meta-regression, the publication year was found to have a significant effect on heterogeneity among studies (B = 0.013, p = 0.018). However, study design, age, data collection method, quality score and sample size did not have a significant effect. There was a significant negative correlation between pornography and sexual satisfaction and the disaggregation of results by gender also indicated this negative correlation among women. However, the relationship between pornography and sexual satisfaction was not significant in men.

Vaginismus is known as a type of sexual pain disorder. Regarding the multifactorial nature of vaginismus, the biopsychosocial model is one of the best models to describe this sexual disorder. The present research was conducted to study the determinants of sexual function in women with and without vaginismus based on the biopsychosocial model. This case-control study was conducted in Iran on 420 women with and without primary vaginismus who met the inclusion criteria. All eligible people were included in the research once their eligibility was verified and their informed permission was acquired; convenience and purposive sampling techniques were used continually. Data collection tools included the demographic and obstetric information form and multiple published scales and questionnaires. Structural equation modeling with LISREL 9.2 software (Scientific Software International) was used to evaluate the determinants of the sexual function of vaginismus. Participants rated their determinants of sexual function based on the biopsychosocial model. The mean ages of the case and control groups were 27.67 and 28.44 years, respectively. The direct, indirect, and total effects of the dimensions of sexual health on sexual function and the diagnostic score of vaginismus of the women with vaginismus were significant (P < .001). Furthermore, based on the results, the diagnostic score of vaginismus in women with vaginismus was significantly affected by the direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of vaginal penetration cognition and fear of sex (P = .016, P = .005). Women with and without vaginismus were able to accept the models’ excellent fit. This study helps inform health planners and policy makers about the sexual function of women with vaginismus, the factors related to this disorder, and the multidimensional nature of this sexual problem. This study attempted to offer a more comprehensive and complete view of present knowledge via surveying different aspects of sexual health and by means of valid and reliable tools and path analysis. The study’s merits include the use of the biopsychosocial model to evaluate sexual function in women with vaginismus, the use of a variety of questionnaires to compare women with and without vaginismus, and the size of the sample. The research was limited by the fact that electronic sampling was conducted because of the COVID-19 epidemic. Based on the findings of the present study for the group of women with vaginismus, the direct, indirect, and overall effects of the majority of dimensions of sexual health were significantly correlated with sexual function and vaginismus.

Cognition and beliefs of women about vaginal penetration can be important in understanding the basic mechanisms of sexual disorders and their treatment process, especially genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder (GPPPD). Thus, as a systematic review and meta-analysis, the present study aimed to compare the beliefs and cognitions related to vaginal penetration in women with and without GPPPD. In this systematic review and meta-analysis study, articles published in the international databases of PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, ProQuest and Cochrane Library were searched using keywords related to vaginal penetration cognition. Inclusion criterion was all case-control studies which used the standard Vaginal Penetration Cognition Questionnaire (VPCQ). There were no language or time limitations. Egger's test was used to investigate the possibility of bias in publishing the results. Data analysis was performed using STATA software version 12 (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX). In this study, five articles were analyzed after assessing their quality by using Newcastle–Ottawa scale. The difference between the mean scores of Control cognition, catastrophic and pain cognitions, self-image cognitions, positive cognitions and genital incompatibility cognitions in the two groups with and without GPPPD was 0.450, 2.312, 1.528, −1.343 and 1.881, respectively, and the two groups were significantly different (p < 0.001). According to the results of the present study, women with GPPPD had higher levels of negative cognition about catastrophic and pain cognition, genital incompatibility, self-image and perceived control during the vaginal penetration than women without GPPPD. They had also lower levels of positive cognition and beliefs associated with vaginal penetration. Therefore, the cognitive dimensions of vaginal penetration should be considered in the treatment and sexual counseling of women with GPPPD, and some plans have to be designed for interventional measures in this regard.

Background. Genital/pelvic pain penetration disorder (GPPPD) decreased mental and physical functioning, reduced quality of life, and reduced feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness, all of which impair the ability of women with GPPPD to enjoy sex. This qualitative study was conducted to identify which factors can reduce sexual stress and help Iranian women cope with GPPPD. Methods. This qualitative study was conducted through the participation of 18 women with GPPPD diagnosed by a sexologist and using DSM-IV diagnostic criteria from March to July 2022, Iran. The samples were selected using the purposive sampling method and considering the maximum variation. The semistructured question guide was used as a data collection tool and data collection continued until data saturation was reached. The collected data were analyzed using conventional content analysis approach. Results. Data analysis led to the emergence of three main themes: problem-focused coping which included the three categories of received social support, problem self-control, and penetration replacement; emotion-focused coping which included three categories: a couples negative reaction to the problem, attachment disorder, and surrendering the problem; and treatment-seeking which consisted of searching and choosing a therapist to solve the problem, ineffective medical approaches, and ineffective nonmedical approaches. Conclusion. Coping strategies in women with GPPPD were classified as problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, and treatment-seeking. These findings indicate a need for GPPPD information and education, as well as a need for healthcare professionals to actively inquire about sexual problems and commit to serious treatment efforts. Cultural interventions that promote sexual pleasure can aid in the management of GPPPD.