Barriers and Facilitators to Accessing Sexual and Reproductive Health Services Among Transgender People: A Meta-Synthesis.

The availability and accessibility of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services for transgender individuals are crucial. This population is deprived of health care due to rejection, stigma, gender-based discrimination, confidentiality, and violence. This review attempts to provide readers with an account of the fundamental problems that the transgender population faces regarding experiences of SRH. This meta-synthesis review applied the Social-Ecological Model (SEM) to address trans individuals' SRH factors. The databases were searched using "SRH" and "transgender" keywords. Fifty studies were finally selected. All studies were qualitative, including 36 semi-structured/ in-depth interviews, two focus group studies, and 12 interviews and focus group studies. The Social-Ecological Model application illustrates the impact of individual, interpersonal, institutional, and social factors on the condition of SRH among transgender individuals. This meta-synthesis reinforces multiple levels of factors that influence the SRH of transgender individuals. These include limited information, lack of awareness, low socioeconomic status, stigma and discrimination, and social deprivation. Interventions are urgently needed to provide better sexual and reproductive well-being for transgender individuals.

Transgender women sex workers' experiences accessing sexual health care in Iran: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to examine the experiences of transgender women who work in the sex industry regarding their access to health care facilities for sexual health. Transgender women sex workers are recognised worldwide as a high-risk group for HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). METHODS: In Iran, between January and May 2022, we employed a snowball sampling technique to recruit a diverse group of 22 transgender women sex workers aged 19-42 years. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with these participants to provide insights into their experiences with accessing sexual health care. RESULTS: The data was analysed using thematic analysis, revealing four overarching themes: experiences of violence, contextual barriers to health, socioeconomic challenges and HIV/STI risk practices, and 11 sub-themes. The results demonstrate that many participants experienced difficulties in accessing sexual health services due to violence, discrimination, financial difficulties and lack of awareness about STIs. CONCLUSION: Sex workers face extraordinarily challenging occupational risks, including sexual and physical abuse, mental health issues, and HIV and STIs. Targeted public intervention programs and research for this group are urgently needed. Outreach programs engaging with underserved transgender women sex workers have the potential to enhance access to healthcare services, and contribute to the reduction of HIV transmission rates.

The effect of cognitive-behavioral counseling on maternal-fetal attachment among pregnant women with unwanted pregnancy in Iran: A randomized clinical Trial.

Background: Unwanted pregnancy is an important public health concern that can have significant health, social, and economic effects on the mother, the baby and her family. The establishment and enhancement of maternal-fetal attachment (MFA) play a role in the promotion of emotional communication between the mother and the child in the future. This study aimed at investigating the effect of cognitive-behavioral counseling on maternal-fetal attachment among pregnant women with unwanted pregnancy. Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 60 eligible pregnant women with unwanted pregnancy and gestational age of 22-28 weeks who had referred to health centers in Mashhad, a city in the northeast of Iran, were selected and they were through random block assignment divided into two groups of counseling with the cognitive-behavioral approach (n = 30) and the control group (n = 30). In addition to the routine pregnancy care, the cognitive-behavioral counseling group received four group counseling sessions on a weekly basis, while the control group only received the routine pregnancy care from healthcare providers. Maternal-fetal attachment before and after intervention in the two groups was assessed through Cranley's Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale. Comparison of mean scores within and between the two groups was performed using SPSS 21 through independent and paired t-tests. Results: At the end of the study and after the intervention, the mean scores of maternal-fetal attachment in the intervention and control groups were 94.06 ± 11.73 and 80.16 ± 10.09, respectively, and the difference between the groups was significant. Although the difference between the mean scores of each group at the beginning and the end of the study was significant, this difference between the two groups was also noticeable (21.56 ± 12.16 vs 7.40 ± 12.39) and statistically significant. Conclusions: Cognitive-behavioral counseling can be effective in enhancing the maternal-fetal attachment in unwanted pregnancies; therefore, it is recommended to be integrated into pregnant women's healthcare programs.

The Effectiveness of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy on the Success of Breast Feeding in Traumatic Childbirth: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: Traumatic childbirth may expose mothers to physical and psychological postpartum disorders. The reduced rate of exclusive breast feeding is an essential consequence of this problem. The goal of this study was to see if dialectical behavioral therapy could help with the onset and duration of exclusive breast feeding after a traumatic delivery. Method : This clinical trial study included, 210 primiparous women with traumatic vaginal births were admitted to Bahar hospital in Shahroud. A standard protocol was designed and administered. The group allocation imbalance happened by chance and was averted by utilizing block randomization with a size of four and sequentially numbering the intervention or control groups with a sealed concealed envelope Participants in the intervention group had one individual session and four group counseling sessions by the researcher, while the control group participants obtained a routine care. Breast feeding self-efficacy was measured using a related questionnaire before the intervention, six and 12 weeks postpartum. Exclusive breast feeding was determined using a related form at the end of each month until the fourth month. Results: The outcome of repeated measure ANOVA Before the intervention, based on the greenhouse geisser test indicated no statistically significant difference in breast feeding self-efficacy (P = 0.07) or infant weight between the two groups. (P = 0.98). Nevertheless, a statistically significant difference between the mean score of breast feeding self-efficacy and infant's weight was discovered by a post hoc test utilizing the Bonferroni correction, (P = 0.001) between the two groups after the intervention. Therefore, in the intervention group, the level of exclusive breast feeding was higher than in the control group, and four months after birth, more infants in the intervention group were exclusively breastfed (58% vs 32%) (P < 0.001). The analysis of data using the GEE model showed that the odds of adherence to exclusive breast feeding in the intervention group were 3.4 (0.95 CI: 2.04-5.7). Conclusion: Dialectical behavior therapy is a powerful tool for minimizing the negative features of traumatic childbirth and increase the success of breast feeding mothers. Therefore, it can be used as a supportive method for mothers.

Effect of sexual enrichment program on the sexual satisfaction of pregnant women in Iran: A randomized clinical trial.

Background: To improve the sexual satisfaction of pregnant women, there needs to be a culturally appropriate sex education program. This study aimed at determining the effectiveness of a sexual enrichment program on the sexual satisfaction of pregnant women. Methods: This single-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on 61 pregnant women aged 18 to 35 years old with low-risk pregnancies and gestational ages of 14 to 32 weeks, who had referred to three healthcare centers in Mashhad. The participants were randomly assigned to two groups of control (n = 31) and intervention (n = 30) based on a table of blocks of four. The intervention group, in addition to receiving routine pregnancy training, participated in six one-hour sessions of a sexual enrichment program held on a weekly basis, while the control group received only the routine pregnancy healthcare. Larson's sexual satisfaction questionnaire was used to assess the sexual satisfaction of pregnant women prior to the study and two weeks after the intervention. Comparison of mean scores between and within the two groups was performed using SPSS software (version 21) using independent and paired t-tests. Results: After the intervention, there was a significant difference between the mean sexual satisfaction scores of the two groups (p = 0.02). Comparison of the differences between the mean sexual satisfaction scores of the intervention group before and after the intervention indicated a significant change (p = 0.009), while in case of the control group this change was not significant (p = 0.46). Conclusion: A sexual enrichment program can be effective in improving the sexual satisfaction of pregnant mothers.

Effectiveness of nurse-led counselling and education on self-efficacy of patients with acute coronary syndrome: A randomized controlled trial.

AIM: Adherence to lifestyle recommendations, medical regimens and cardiac rehabilitation is poor among patients with acute coronary syndrome. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of nurse-led counselling and education using a person-centred care approach on short-term cardiac self-efficacy in patients with acute coronary syndrome. DESIGN: A parallel, two-armed, randomized controlled trial was conducted. METHODS: One hundred twenty patients who were hospitalized with diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome were selected and randomly assigned into intervention (n = 60) or control (n = 60) groups. In the intervention group, in addition to routine care, the nurse-led counselling and education programme included two face-to-face sessions, two telephone counselling and education sessions, using the person-centred care approach. Participants in the control group received only routine care. Data were collected using the cardiac self-efficacy scale before the intervention and 1 month after discharge. RESULTS: After the intervention, we found that cardiac self-efficacy, including the perceived self-efficacy to control symptoms and maintain function, was statistically significantly higher in the intervention group than the control group.

Prevalence of Sexual Transmitted Infections (STIs) and Un-Protected Sex in Temporary Marriage in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Temporary marriage (TM) is legitimate sexual relations without social, moral approval, which can be a threat to individuals' health, it is a risk factor for spread of Sexual Transmitted Infections (STIs). Therefore, it is necessary to identify and control STIs in TM-individuals and subsequent save of "society health". In this meat-analysis, we examined the prevalence of STIs in TM in Iran. We further examined un-protected sex among TM-individuals. METHOD: Up to Feb 2020, we searched international and national electronic databases identify to published studies on the prevalence of STIs in TM. We estimated the prevalence of STIs in TM using a random-effect pooled estimate analysis approach. RESULTS: Totally, we retrieved 1616 studies from the previously mentioned databases, of which, 18 met the eligibility criteria, published from 1995 to 2020 in different provinces. The total sample size of the included studied contained 2056 TM-individuals, of which 368 were found with STIs and 955 with unprotected sex. The pooled prevalence of STIs and unprotected sex among TM women was 39% (95%CI: 24% to 54%), 55% (95%CI: 40% to 70%). CONCLUSION: STI and unprotected sex are high among TM-individuals which call an urgent need for community and health care providers to provide especially designed medical and psycho-social supportive care services in a safe and unprejudiced environment for TM-individuals. Furthermore, untrained health care providers for TM-individuals, under reporting, social stigma should be taken in to account. Denying the presence of such realities, does not eradicate the facts but results in catastrophic public health problems.

Sexual and Reproductive Health Challenges in Temporary Marriage: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Temporary marriage is a legal form of marriage in Shia Islam allowing a man and a woman to become married in a fixed period of time. This review was conducted to identify the potential effects of temporary marriage on the sexual and reproductive health of women. STUDY DESIGN: A systematic review . METHODS: Electronic databases, including Web of Knowledge, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, PsycINFO, ProQuest, IranMedex, Scientific Information Database (SID), and Magiran, were searched up to October 2020 to identify the studies carried out on sexual and reproductive health challenges in temporary marriage. All the selected articles were assessed for eligibility according to their titles and abstracts. RESULTS: During the search on articles published within 1995 to October 2020, 1,802 relevant records were identified, and after evaluation 30 full-text papers were included in the present systematic review. Out of the 34,085 study participants in the selected studies, 3,547 subjects had temporary marriage who were studied under six different categories, namely (1) sexually transmitted infections (STIs)/human immunodeficiency viruses, (2) early child marriage, (3) unplanned pregnancy and induced abortion, (4) violence, (5) psychosocial disorders, and (6) other issues. Individuals with temporary marriage are vulnerable and need to have easy access to health education and sexual and reproductive health services in a safe and unprejudiced environment. Ignoring the aforementioned facts will cause serious public health problems, especially for women from a lower socioeconomic background. CONCLUSION: In the current situation with under-reporting of temporary marriage-related events due to social stigma and absence of quality services in sexual and reproductive health, women with temporary marriage are under the additional risk of STIs, unwanted pregnancy, abortion, and violence.

Sexual Compatibility with Spouse Questionnaire: Development and Psychometric Property Evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Sexual compatibility between husband and wife is an effective factor in both sexual and marital satisfaction. However, there is limited valid and reliable questionnaire to measure the degree of sexual compatibility between the couples. METHODS: In this exploratory mixed method study, 54 individuals were interviewed in the qualitative phase and 448 persons participated in the quantitative phase. Totally 502 participants (261 woman, 241 men) took part in this study. According to 205 final codes derived from the qualitative phase, 102 initial items were developed, the number of which reached 69 items after deletion and merging performed by the research team. After face validity, content validity and construct validity, 68 items were introduced into the construct validity phase. RESULTS: Following exploratory factor analysis and promax rotation, the items were reduced to 35 in 4 factors: "Requirements of a sexual relationship", "Sexual agreement", "Contextual obstacles" and "Outcomes of sexual compatibility". The questionnaire Cronbach alpha and correlation coefficient of the test-retest method were 0.90 and 0.91, respectively. CONCLUSION: Final Questionnaire included 35 items in 4 point-Likert scale with total score of between 35-140. This valid and reliable questionnaire is brief, easily interpreted and can measure the main factors affecting sexual compatibility with the spouse in clinics and research fields.

Infidelity and Its Associated Factors: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Infidelity can be facilitated and/or inhibited as a result of interrelations among multilevel contexts. Despite the existence of numerous studies about infidelity, there is no developmental model that considers multilevel contexts of factors associated with infidelity. AIM: To review published articles addressing factors associated with infidelity and to apply the ecological model to these factors. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was conducted using the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsychoInfo. Literature search was restricted to articles published in English up to June 2018. All quantitative and full-text studies that addressed associated factors with infidelity were included. This study was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: This article reports a review of the literature on the factors associated with infidelity based on the ecological model. RESULTS: We retrieved 5,159 titles, of which 82 were qualified after the qualitative synthesis. The Ecological Couples Systems Diagram (ECSD) is proposed as a developmental model similar to Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Systems Model. There was an inconsistency between variables of microsystem and infidelity engagement. However, the results of some studies indicated the impact of demographic factors, personality traits, and sexual information on infidelity, considering partner characteristics. Variables belonging to a mesosystem had a more stable association with infidelity than those from other systems. In addition, the review reveals the complexity of infidelity, associated with following factors: 68.3% (n = 56) of the studies were based on microsystem variables, 48.8% (n = 40) used mesosystem variables, 19.5% (n = 16) used exosystem variables, 26.8% (n = 22) used macrosystem variables, 6.1% (n = 5) used chronosystem variables, and 50% (n = 41) included variables from 2 or more levels. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The ECSD can be used not only for assessing couple compatibility in premarital counseling, but also for consulting couples who want to have a long-term romantic relationship. As a potential clinical application, therapists can use the ECSD to assess unfaithful clients and their partners, improving the quality of counseling. STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: This study reveals different environmental layers of various variables related to infidelity. Determining the effect size of variables associated with infidelity was not possible due to the heterogeneity of infidelity assessment tools and test analysis. CONCLUSION: Apparently, incompatibility of interpersonal characteristics is more likely associated with infidelity than incompatibility of intrapersonal characteristics. It is important to consider couple compatibility before starting an exclusive relationship, such as marriage, for individuals who intend to maintain a long-term exclusive romantic relationship. Haseli A, Shariati M, Nazari AM, et al. Infidelity and Its Associated Factors: A Systematic Review. J Sex Med 2019;16:1155-1169.

Women's orgasm obstacles: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Woman's orgasm plays a vital role in sexual compatibility and marital satisfaction. Orgasm in women is a learnable phenomenon that is influenced by several factors. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is exploring obstacles to orgasm in Iranian married women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This qualitative study with directed content analysis approach was conducted in 2015-2016, on 20 Iranian married women who were individually interviewed at two medical clinics in Tehran, Iran. RESULTS: Orgasm obstacles were explored in one category, 4 subcategories, and 25 codes. The main category was "Multidimensionality of women's orgasm obstacles". Subcategories and some codes included: Physical obstacles (wife's or husband's boredom, vaginal infection, insufficient vaginal lubrication), psychological obstacles (lack of sexual knowledge, shame, lack of concentration on sex due to household and children problems), relational obstacles (husband's hurry, having a dispute and annoyance with spouse) and contextual obstacles (Irregular sleep hours, lack of privacy and inability to separate children's bedroom from their parents, lack of peace at home). CONCLUSION: For prevention or treatment of female orgasm disorders, attention to physical factors is not enough. Obtaining a comprehensive history about physical, psychological, relational and contextual dimensions of woman's life is necessary.