Effect of PLISSIT model counseling on the sexual quality of life of infertile women: a randomized controlled trial

Infertility can lead to sexual dysfunction and can have negative effects on sexual quality of life in women. The present study was conducted to determine the effect of PLISSIT model counseling on the sexual quality of life of infertile women with sexual dysfunction. The present study included 82 infertile women with sexual dysfunction who met the inclusion criteria. Participants were allocated into two groups, the control group and the intervention group (41 individuals per group), using a table of random numbers. The data collection tools used were the sexual quality of life-female questionnaire (SQOL-F) and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), which were completed before and 4 weeks after the intervention, respectively. The intervention group passed 4 weekly individual counseling sessions based on the PLISSIT model. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS software version 20. The present study was developed using the CONSORT clinical trial checklist. The results showed a significant improvement in the mean score of sexual function and sexual quality of life in the intervention group after the intervention. The total FSFI score increased from 22.04 ± 1.63 to 28.71 ± 0.97, and the total SQOL-F score improved from 36.16 ± 10.60 to 58.94 ± 16.35 (p < 0.001), indicating the effectiveness of the PLISSIT model. The effect size (Cohen's d) for the FSFI improvement was 3.613 and for the SQOL-F was 1.582 indicating a large clinical impact of the PLISSIT counseling model. PLISSIT based sexual counseling appears to be a clinically beneficial intervention that can be integrated into infertility care program to enhance the sexual well-being and overall quality of life of affected women.Trial registration: IRCT20230205057328N1.