Relationship between Health Literacy and Sexual Function and Sexual Satisfaction in Infertile Couples Referred to The Royan Institute

Background: Health science and technology today is a rapidly growing field. Health is a multifaceted concept influenced by several factors, and health literacy is essential to deal properly with the current situation. In this study, the association between health literacy and sexual function and sexual satisfaction were investigated in 2016. Materials and Methods: This descriptive and correlational study was conducted on 193 couples in the Royan Institute, Tehran. Data collection instruments were three standard questionnaires which included the Test of Functional Health Literacy, the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and the International Index of Erectile Function, and the Iranian version of the Sexual Satisfaction Scale. The data were analyzed using SPSS-v23 software at a significance level of 0.05. Results: Marginal health literacy, 49.7% among men and 44.1% among women, was more common than adequate or inadequate health literacy. Erectile function for the majority of men was appropriate (53.3%), compared to 16.6% who had perfect function and 30.1% for whom function was less than appropriate. The majority of women (57.0%) had sexual dysfunction. One hundred and three (53.3%) men had appropriate sexual function and 57% of women had normal sexual function. The greater proportion of men (50.8%) and women (46.1%) had good, rather than very good or less than good, sexual satisfaction. The results of chi-square tests indicated that greater health literacy was associated with higher levels of sexual function and sexual satisfaction among men and women. However, application of the Cramer’s V test indicates that the strength of these associations is moderate to weak. Conclusion: Health literacy was marginal among most couples and its adverse impacts on sexual function and sexual satisfaction were confirmed. Accordingly, it is recommended that plans be developed to promote health literacy among infertile couples.