Investigating the effect of mindfulness counselling on sexual functioning of women with premenstrual syndrome.

Mindfulness exercises can improve a wide range of the psychological and interpersonal consequences of premenstrual syndrome. Nevertheless, there is sparse information about the effect of mindfulness counselling on sexual dysfunction in women with this condition. This study aimed to determine the effect of mindfulness counselling on the sexual functioning of women with premenstrual syndrome. In this controlled randomized study, 112 women diagnosed with premenstrual syndrome referred to selected urban healthcare centers in Isfahan, Iran, were randomly allocated to two groups (intervention and control), each with 56 participants. The intervention group underwent mindfulness counselling in eight 60-minute sessions online via Google Meet. The control group did not receive any kind of intervention. The principal measure was score on the Rosen Female Sexual Functioning Index (FSFI) before, immediately, and one month after the intervention. The data were analyzed by SPSS 23, through descriptive and analytical statistical tests (chi-square, Mann-Whitney, independent t-test, ANOVA, and repeated measure) with a significance level of 0.05. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean FSFI score (or the subscores) between the intervention and control groups (p greater than 0.05) at baseline. In the intervention group, there were significant increases (relative to both baseline and in comparison with the control group) in the mean subscores for sexual desire (P < 0.0001), orgasm (P = 0.01), satisfaction (P = 0.0001), sexual pain (P = 0.003), and general sexual functioning (P < 0.0001) immediately after and one month after the intervention, but the score for sexual arousal was significantly greater only at the one-month evaluation (P < 0.0001) and there were no differences in the scores for vaginal lubrication. On the other hand. Mindfulness counselling was effective in improving the sexual functioning of women suffering from premenstrual syndrome, and should be used for this purpose in healthcare centers.

Use of Medicinal Plants and Synthetic Medicines by Pregnant Women in Kerman, Iran.

BACKGROUND: Pregnant women take medicinal plants for various reasons, supposing that these plants are completely safe for their fetus and their own health. This study aims to identify all types of medicinal plants and synthetic medicines used by pregnant women in Kerman and to study factors related to their use. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 150 women who had received prenatal care at 12 health centers in Kerman in 2017 were interviewed. Chi-square, t test and logistic regression were applied to investigate factors such as age, gestational age, mother's education, mother's occupation, perception of safety related to the use of medicinal plants and synthetic medicine during pregnancy. RESULTS: In this study, the rate of taking medicinal plants was 71.3% in pregnant women. The most common used medicinal plants and synthetic medicines were mint water (30%) and vitamins (47.3%), respectively. The most important mentioned reason for taking these medicinal plants during pregnancy was digestive problems. 52% of people believed that medicinal plants don't have any side effects. The chance of taking medicinal plants in housewives was 4.4 times more than employed women. Thinking that these medicines are safe to use increased the possibility of taking medicinal plants and synthetic medicines 4.5 and 3.1 times, respectively. CONCLUSION: Due to the potential side effects of medicinal plants, development and implementation of training programs to increase pregnant women's knowledge and a plan for specialized training for midwives and physicians employed in health centers seems necessary.