Background: Infertility is a significant psychosocial stressor that adversely affects sexual satisfaction, marital quality, and psychological well-being in couples. While standard infertility counseling (SC) addresses individual distress, it often neglects relational and dyadic concerns. This study evaluates the effectiveness of couple-based intervention (CBI) compared to SC in improving sexual, relational, and emotional outcomes in couples with primary infertility. Methods: A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted among 60 heterosexual couples with primary infertility at Saveetha Medical College and Hospital. Participants were allocated into two groups: CBI ( n = 30) and SC ( n = 30). CBI involved six joint sessions incorporating emotionally focused couple therapy (EFT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)-based couple work, sexual communication, and mindfulness. SC involved individual-focused cognitive and supportive counseling. Outcomes were measured at baseline and post-intervention using the Index of Sexual Satisfaction (ISS), Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), and General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28). Results: The CBI group showed statistically significant improvement across all domains: ISS ( P = .0001), DAS ( P = .0003), and GHQ-28 ( P = .0001). The SC group did not show significant improvements in any scale. Urban residence was associated with better intervention outcomes ( P = .042), suggesting sociodemographic factors may influence therapy engagement. Conclusion: CBI was more effective than SC in improving sexual satisfaction, marital quality, and psychological well-being in infertile couples. Couple-focused approaches should be integrated into infertility treatment, especially for urban, and educated populations.
J et al. (Tue,) studied this question.