Changes in Mental Health, Sexual Function, and Satisfaction Among Iranian Women With and Without Covid-19: A Longitudinal Comparative Study Publisher Pubmed



Taghizadeh Z ; Haghparast Bidgoli Z ; Bagheri A ; Farnam F ; Kazemnezhad Leyli E
Source: Archives of Sexual Behavior Published:2026

Abstract

This study examined trends in mental health, sexual function, and sexual satisfaction among married women in Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic, comparing women with and without a history of COVID-19. The study was conducted in three phases over four months and included 327 participants, who were recruited from hospitals and health centers. In the first phase, convenience sampling was used and follow-up assessments were conducted via an online questionnaire. During the first phase, participants completed the Demographic Questionnaire, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), the Six-Item Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI-6), the Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction (GMSEX), and the Preventive Behaviors against COVID-19 Questionnaire. At the second and third time points, they completed the GHQ-12, the FSFI-6, and the GMSEX. Repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance was conducted. The findings revealed that the pattern of mental health changes over time differed among women with and without a history of COVID-19. Sexual function did not change significantly across time, irrespective of COVID-19 history. Women with a history of COVID-19 reported lower levels of sexual satisfaction than those without this history throughout the study period. These findings indicated that COVID-19 may have lasting effects on women's sexual satisfaction, emphasizing the need for sexual health follow-up in post-COVID care. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2026.