The Inferto-Sex Syndrome (ISS): sexual dysfunction in fertility care setting and assisted reproduction

Abstract

Purpose: Infertility represents a peculiar social burden affecting more than 15% of couples, provoking it a real threat to the general quality of life and to the sexual health. The medicalization (diagnosis, therapy and follow up) of the lack of fertility is frequently a challenge in term of personal and couple's involvement. In particular, while the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) has allowed many infertile couples to achieve pregnancy, the therapeutic process faced by the couple bears a strong psychological stress that can affect the couple's quality of life, relationship and sexuality. Despite infertility affects both female and male sexual health, only recently the interest in the effects of ART on the couple's sexuality has grown, especially for women.

Methods: A literature research on the sexual dysfunction in fertility care and particularly in ART setting was performed.

Results: Literature largely found that intimacy and sexuality appear specifically impaired by intrusiveness of treatments and medical prescriptions. Moreover, there is a close relationship between emotional, psychological and sexual aspects, which can be integrated in the new concept of Inferto-Sex Syndrome (ISS) that can impair the ART treatment outcomes. Evidence demonstrates that the assessment of sexual function is necessary in couples undergoing diagnosis of infertility and ART.

Conclusion: A close relationship between infertility and sexuality, both in the female and male partners, was detected. ART treatments may heavily impact on the couple's psychosexual health. A couple-centred program for the integrated management of psychological and sexual dysfunction should be considered in the context of ART programs.

Keywords: Assisted reproduction; Erectile dysfunction; Infertility; Sexuality.

Figure 1.

Infertility makes a real challenge to the sexual life and SD are an emerging paradigm as a typical “couple disorder”, especially in unique psychosocial set of ART treatment for infertility. A couple-centred approach in the infertility treatment plan is mandatory, grounded on a multidisciplinary team for the comprehensive management of ISS, as all the emotional, relational and, inevitably, sexual aspects of infertile couples. ART assisted reproductive technology. ED erectile dysfunction. HSDD hypoactive sexual desire disorder. ISS Inferto-Sex Syndrome