Zahra Daneshfar - PhD in Reproductive Health, Department of Reproductive Health and Midwifery, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
Shahideh Jahanian - Associate Professor, Department of Reproductive Health and Midwifery, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
Fazlollah Ahmadi - Professor, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
Giti Ozgoli - a) Associate Professor, Midwifery and Reproductive Health Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran b) Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University
Anoshirvan Kazemnejad - Professor, Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

Background & aim:  Infertility has serious implications on psychological and social well-being as well as the sexual life. Considering that sexual health is an essential element of human health, the present study was performed to explore the experiences of Iranian infertile women regarding their sexual health. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted using conventional content analysis (Lundman and Graneheim's approach) in Tehran, Iran from November to March ۲۰۱۸. Twenty infertile women (aged ۲۵-۴۲ years old with various reasons for infertility), who were selected purposefully, participated in this study. The data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews All interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Guba and Lincoln's criteria including credibility, transferability, confirmability, and dependability were applied to achieve trustworthiness. Results: Three themes emerged from the data analysis including ۱) Impact of the process of diagnosis and treatment on women’s sexuality ۲) Psychological, behavioral, interpersonal and economic factors influencing sexual health, and ۳) cultural and religious norms affecting sexual life. Conclusion: Infertile women's sexual health is influenced by the process of diagnosis and treatment; psychological reactions to infertility, economic, personal, and cultural-belief system.

Infertility, Qualitative study, Sexual health