Objective: To assess the effect of infertility on the health-related quality of life
and sexual function of infertile women in Upper Egypt.
Method: The Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (QLQ) C30, version 2, and a visual
analog scale were used to assess the quality of life and sexual satisfaction of
116 women with primary infertility and 116 fertile women with similar
sociodemographic characteristics. We also looked for associations between
the results and infertility duration.
Results: Compared with the fertile women, the women with primary infertility
had significantly lower scores for both health-related quality of life and sexual
function, and their sexual function was the most disturbed during the fourth,
fifth, and sixth years of their marriage.
Conclusion: Women with primary infertility need to be treated medically and
psychologically to improve their quality of life and sexual function.