Women with Spinal Cord Injuries, Anxiety and Sexual Dissatisfaction: Do They Benefit from Sexual Rehabilitation Education?

Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) affects all body systems, including physiological sexual responses, and negatively impacts sexual satisfaction and anxiety, leading to depression and damage to interpersonal relationships in couples. Therefore, sexual rehabilitation education by rehabilitation nurses is essential to prevent complications and improve performance. Objectives: This article aims to investigate the effect of sexual rehabilitation education on anxiety and sexual satisfaction among members of the Tehran Spinal Cord Injury Association. Methods: In this semi-experimental study, 100 women referred to the Tehran Spinal Cord Injury Association were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. Data were collected using a demographic form, Beck's Anxiety Questionnaire, and Larson's Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 software and statistical tests, including chi-square, Fisher's exact test, and independent t-tests. Results: The mean anxiety score in the control group before and after the intervention was 19.66 and 20.68, respectively (P = 0.123), whereas in the intervention group, the mean scores were 20.92 and 18.04, showing a statistically significant reduction (P = 0.045). The mean sexual satisfaction score in the control group was 67.32 and 67.22, respectively (P = 0.912), while in the intervention group, it increased from 67.80 to 70.80, a statistically significant improvement (P = 0.010). Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrated that sexual rehabilitation education reduces anxiety and increases sexual satisfaction in women with spinal cord injuries. Implementing sexual rehabilitation education programs by nurses is an effective strategy to reduce anxiety and enhance the sexual satisfaction of women with spinal cord injuries.