Higher female partner age and longer duration of marriage: key factors for less frequent sexual intercourse in infertile couples
Mohadese Dashtkoohi
A , Mostafa Saeedinia B , Mohammad Dashtkoohi A , Mohammad Haddadi A , Masoumeh Masoumi A and Zohreh Heidary A *
A
B
Abstract
Sexual intercourse frequency (SIF) is widely known to be associated with fertility, but little is known about what predicts SIF among infertile couples trying to conceive. In this study, we examine the demographic and lifestyle risk factors associated with less frequent coitus among infertile couples.
This cross-sectional study examined infertile couples actively trying to conceive, selecting them from patients seeking fertility treatment. Demographic data and lifestyle factors such as age, occupation, smoking status, and body mass index were recorded. Participants self-reported the frequency of vaginal–penile intercourse per week and month. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the data and identify predictors of SIF.
Our study included a final sample size of 790 couples. In univariate binary logistic regression, women’s age (OR: 0.948; 95% CI 0.928–0.969), men’s age (OR: 0.957; 95% CI 0.937–0.977), duration of marriage (OR: 0.927; 95% CI 0.903–0.952), and duration of infertility (OR: 0.928; 95% CI 0.898–0.960) were found to be significant factors. Additionally, men’s smoking was negatively associated with SIF, with an odds ratio of 0.732 (95% CI: 0.578–0.928, P = 0.010).
We observed that younger female partner age and shorter duration of marriage independently emerged as significant predictors associated with higher SIF. Our study highlights the need for tailored counseling and education based on age and marital stage. Older couples may benefit from specialized support such as sexual therapy and stress management. The negative impact of men’s smoking on sexual intercourse frequency underscores the importance of effective smoking cessation programs. Comprehensive infertility treatment should address medical, psychological, and sexual health factors.
Keywords: coitus, infertility, infertility assessment, intercourse, marriage, risk factors, sexual behavior, sexual partners.
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