Effectiveness of motivational interviewing in reducing unmet reproductive health needs among women with human papillomavirus infection: A triple-blind randomized controlled trial

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of motivational interviewing (MI) in reducing unmet reproductive health needs among women with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Methods: This triple-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted in 2023 with confirmed HPV infection attending a women's clinic in Iran. Participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention group receiving five weekly individual MI sessions or a control group receiving routine education. Reproductive health needs were assessed at baseline and five weeks after the intervention using a validated questionnaire. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare post-intervention outcomes after adjusting for baseline scores. Results: Sixty-two women were included. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. Compared with the control group, women receiving MI showed significantly lower total reproductive health needs scores after the intervention ( P <0.001), with a large effect size (partial η 2 =0.642). Significant improvements were observed across all 12 domains, particularly in psychological health education, male involvement in reproductive health, and women's empowerment. Conclusion: MI effectively reduced unmet reproductive health needs among women with HPV infection and may be integrated into routine sexual and reproductive healthcare to enhance counseling, psychological support, and patient empowerment. Study registration: The trial was registered with the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials: IRCT20230531058348N1.