Adapted Counseling Care Model for Management of Female Sexual Dysfunction Among Women Living With and Without HIV

Authors

  • Fatima M. Damagum Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano, Nigeria
  • Zainab D. Ahmed Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano, Nigeria
  • Rabiu I. Jalo Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Bayero University Kano (BUK), Kano, Nigeria
  • Hamisu M. Salihu Kano Independent Research Centre Trust, Kano, Nigeria
  • C. William Wester Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH), Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), Nashville, TN, United States
  • Muktar H. Aliyu Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH), Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), Nashville, TN, United States

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25259/IJMA_37_2024

Keywords:

  • Female Sexual Dysfunction,
  • HIV,
  • Adaptive Counseling,
  • Nigeria

Abstract

Background and Objective

Sexual health research among women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has focused mainly on sexual practices and risk behaviors, with little consideration for treating sexual dysfunction and improving sexual satisfaction. The aim of this pilot study was to assess the effectiveness of an adaptive counseling care model in the management of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) among women living with HIV and without HIV in northern Nigeria.

Methods

This was a prospective cohort study of 200 women with HIV and a matched comparison arm of 200 women without HIV. Sexual function was assessed using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), with a score ≤ 26.55 indicating FSD. We counseled women with FSD using the Permission, Limited Information, Specific Suggestions, Intensive Therapy (PLISSIT) model and evaluated the effectiveness of the model by comparing mean differences in baseline and six weeks post-intervention FSFI scores.

Results

The overall prevalence of FSD was 96.8%, with no difference between HIV-positive and HIV-negative participants (p = 0.398). Based on the six domains of the FSFI, the most common reported dysfunctions were sexual pain (21.7%), sexual desire disorder (17.6%), orgasm disorder (17.6%), lubrication disorder (17.2%), sexual arousal (16.9%), and poor sexual satisfaction (9.0%). The overall mean FSFI score (±standard deviation, SD) for those with FSD, in both groups (n = 387) prior to the counseling intervention was 16.05±10.65 (HIV-positive: 18.58±8.46; HIV-negative: 13.98±10.85). At the end of the intervention, the overall mean FSFI score in both groups increased to 23.58±16.53 (HIV-positive: 21.37±11.24; HIV-negative: 16.72±13.81) (p < 0.05 in all cases).

Conclusion and Global Health Implications

FSD is very common among women in Northern Nigeria, irrespective of HIV status. An adapted counseling care model improved sexual function in both HIV-positive and HIV-negative women. The PLISSIT model can guide healthcare providers to initiate and navigate sexual health discussions with women in this setting.

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Published

2024-11-08
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How to Cite

Damagum, F. M., Ahmed, Z. D., Jalo, R. I., Salihu, H. M., Wester, C. W., & Aliyu, M. H. (2024). Adapted Counseling Care Model for Management of Female Sexual Dysfunction Among Women Living With and Without HIV. International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS, 13(Continuous), e025. https://doi.org/10.25259/IJMA_37_2024

License


Copyright © 2024 Fatima M. Damagum, Zainab D. Ahmed, Rabiu I. Jalo, Hamisu M. Salihu, C. William Wester, Muktar H. Aliyu. Published by Global Health and Education Projects, Inc., USA.

Creative Commons License

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , which permits others to remix, transform, and build upon the work non-commercially, provided the original author is credited and the new creations are licensed under the same terms.