Abstract
Introduction: Infertility can adversely affect sexual quality of life and compromise treatment outcomes. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between sexual health literacy and sexual self-efficacy among infertile women attending a public infertility treatment center.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2025 to January 2026 at the largest public infertility referral center in Gorgan, Iran. A convenience sampling method was used to recruit 186 infertile women. Data were collected using a demographic and clinical information form, the Sexual Health Literacy Questionnaire (SHLQ), and the Sexual Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (SSEQ). Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and Chi-square test via SPSS version 26, with the significance level set at P < 0.05.
Results: The mean total score of sexual health literacy was 69.56 ± 23.35, indicating an adequate literacy level. The mean sexual self-efficacy score was 18.79 ± 7.60, falling within the moderate range. A strong, positive, and statistically significant correlation was found between total sexual health literacy and sexual self-efficacy (r = 0.643, P < 0.001). This significant positive correlation was also consistently observed across all individual dimensions of the sexual health literacy questionnaire and sexual self-efficacy (r range = 0.643-0.740, P < 0.001).
Conclusion: This study identified a strong positive correlation between sexual health literacy and sexual self-efficacy among infertile women. Higher levels of sexual health literacy were associated with greater sexual self-efficacy. Future longitudinal and interventional studies are warranted to explore whether targeted educational interventions may enhance sexual self-efficacy and overall sexual well-being in this population.