Tendencies and correlations regarding the sexuality of infertile couples assessed with the Golombok-Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS)

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to assess the sexuality of infertile couples in comparison with couples that achieved spontaneous pregnancy, using a validated questionnaire designed to assess the sexuality of the male and female partner individually and of the couple as a whole. DESIGN: Case-control study with a validated questionnaire. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 170 infertile couples and 170 control couples that had recently achieved spontaneous pregnancy were randomly included in the study and were given the Golombok-Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS). RESULTS: Because the infertile group (93 couples, valid response rate 54.7%) had significantly higher age than the pregnancy group (92, 54.1%), both for the men (38.1±5.2 years vs 35.5±5.3) and for the women (36.6±4.8 vs 33.5±4.4), and longer relationships and marriages, the two groups were compared according to age group. The overall score and the scores on 9 subscales (infrequency, non-communication, dissatisfaction, avoidance, non-sensuality, impotence, premature ejaculation, anorgasmia, vaginismus) were assessed. The overall score showed a tendency to deteriorate with age. The infertile group had significantly worse overall, infrequency, female non-sensuality, non-communication, male non-sensuality, dissatisfaction, and avoidance scores. Deterioration of the overall score was remarkable in men aged 35 or older, and the difference between men and women also tended to increase with age. Sexual satisfaction of men aged 35 or older in the infertile group was lower than men in the pregnancy group, and a tendency was seen for non-sensuality, dissatisfaction, and avoidance to increase with age. CONCLUSIONS: In couples aged 35 or older, the main age group of couples seen for infertility treatment, the sexuality of the male partners was significantly worse than that of the female partners, but further investigation is required to clarify a possible causal relationship with infertility treatment and effective remedies.