Effect of Sex Education on Sexual Quality of Life in Older Married Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial Publisher



Shahabi F ; Poortaghi S ; Maasoumi R ; Amrollah Majdabadi Z ; Negarandeh R
Source: International Journal of Sexual Health Published:2026

Abstract

Background & Objectives: Older married women experience various physical, emotional, and social changes that can significantly affect their well-being. Sexual health, often overlooked, is a vital aspect of their quality of life (QOL) and is Recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an essential component of QOL, maintaining healthy sexual relationships can significantly enhance mental health and marital satisfaction in older women. This study seeks to address a critical gap by examining how sex education impacts the sexual quality of life (SQOL) among older married women. Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, older married women were recruited from Community Centers in Tehran’s Municipality District 6 based on the inclusion criteria. Samples were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups through simple randomization. The demographic questionnaire and the sexual quality of life questionnaire (SQOL-F) were completed by both groups at the beginning of the study. Then the intervention group received four weekly 2-hour sex education sessions. One month after the last session of the educational intervention, the questionnaires were completed for both groups. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16 to determine the effect of intervention by comparing two study groups. Results: Analysis of covariance showed statistically significant improvement between the intervention and control groups in mean SQOL scores (p < 0.001), psychosexual feelings (p < 0.001), sexual-marital satisfaction (p < 0.001), sexual self-worthlessness scores (p = 0.02), and sexual repression (p < 0.001). Conclusion: This study confirms the benefits of sex education in enhancing the SQOL for Iranian married older women. While these results support the recommendation of sex education to improve SQOL, it is crucial to implement such programs with cultural sensitivity and tailored content to maximize effectiveness and address the diverse needs within this population. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Tehran University of Medical Sciences (Ethics code: IR.TUMS.FNM.REC.1397.107). It has been registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) with the registration number IRCT20180904040946N1 on 2018-10-06. © 2026 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.