The Effect of Sex Education and Counseling on the Sexual Function of Iranian Reproductive Age Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: The prevalence of female sexual dysfunction is high and various interventions are used for the treatment of this disorder. Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis study aimed to determine the effect of sex education and counseling on the sexual function of Iranian married reproductive age women. Methods: We searched the international databases, including ISI Web of Sciences, Pub- Med/Medline, Scopus and local databases for published randomized clinical trials without time limitation until March 2020. Mean Difference (MD) with 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI) was considered as a summary effect. In order to identify factors related to heterogeneity between studies, we conducted subgroups and Meta-regression analysis. Results: The results showed significant differences in the pooled mean score of female sexual function between intervention and control groups (MD=5.03, CI 95 %; 3.42 to 6.65). The education and counseling were more effective in pregnant women (MD= 6.34, CI 95 %; 4.31 to 8.38), than other married women (MD= 3.87, CI 95 %; 1.25 to 6.49). Counseling interventions (MD= 5.58, CI 95 %; 3.22 to 7.93) were more effective than other sexual education methods (MD= 4.31, CI 95 %; 2.06 to 6.67). Conclusion: Educational and counseling interventions could improve the sexual performance of women, and interventions were more effective in pregnant women. The effectiveness of counseling interventions was better than education.