The Effect of Counseling Based on Sexual Self-Concept via Social Networks on Smartphone in Infertile Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Maryam Yazdani, Zohreh Mahmoodi, Seyed Ali Azin and 1 others
PMID 31341922WHAT IT FOUND
Smartphone-based sexual self-concept counseling increased positive and decreased negative sexual self-concept scores compared with routine counseling, but situational scores did not differ between groups.
Key findings
01Positive sexual self-concept scores rose in the intervention group from 110.6±18.42 before counseling to 120.1±18.7 immediately after and 120.4±17.9 four weeks later, while control scores fell from 109±15.6 to 106±17.1 and then 105.1±16.8.
02Negative sexual self-concept scores fell in the intervention group from 24.3±7.87 before counseling to 20.2±7.77 immediately after and 19.65±6.97 four weeks later, while control scores rose from 24.5±7.18 to 24.50±7.07 and then 25.2±7.06.
03Situational sexual self-concept scores did not differ between groups at each stage or over time (P=0.06).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study used convenience sampling at two infertility centers in Iran and enrolled only literate women aged 25 to 35 with primary infertility, IVF treatment, regular intercourse, and Telegram access, so it may not apply to other patients or settings. The main outcome was self-reported sexual self-concept, not pregnancy, live birth, sexual function, or marital satisfaction. The paper does not report whether participants, counselors, or outcome assessors were blinded. Follow-up was only four weeks after the intervention. The control group received routine infertility counseling through the same Telegram channel and later received the training package, so the trial compares routine counseling with routine counseling plus sexual counseling content, not counseling versus no counseling. Four participants were excluded, leaving 76 analysed instead of the planned 80. The intervention included multiple components, including audio files, written texts, twice-weekly posting, private questions, and sexologist supervision, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated.
Declared interests
No funding or conflict-of-interest declaration is given in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that smartphone counseling improves pregnancy, sexual function, or fertility. The trial measured only sexual self-concept, and the situational domain did not differ between groups.