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CLINICAL TRIAL article

Front. Med.
Sec. Family Medicine and Primary Care
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1466341
This article is part of the Research Topic The Increasing Relevance of Traditional Medicine Systems for the Primary Health Care Sector and General Practice: Global Research Perspectives – Volume II View all articles

The effect of rose damascene extract on anxiety and sexual function of breastfeeding women: A randomized controlled trial

Provisionally accepted
Akbarzadeh Gohar Akbarzadeh Gohar 1Parvin Abedi Parvin Abedi 1*Shayesteh Jahanfar Shayesteh Jahanfar 2Hossein Sadeghi Hossein Sadeghi 3Ahmad Fakhri Ahmad Fakhri 1Elham Maraghi Elham Maraghi 1
  • 1 Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
  • 2 School of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
  • 3 Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Iran

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Sexual dysfunction is prevalent among breastfeeding women.Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the effect of Rose damascene extract on sexual function and anxiety of breastfeeding women.This was a randomized controlled trial. This study was conducted on 87 breastfeeding women who received either Rose damascene (n=44) or placebo (n=43) for eight weeks. The primary outcomes were sexual function and anxiety. A demographic questionnaire, and obstetric questionnaire, the Female Sexual Function Scale (FSFI), and the Spielberger questionnaire were used to collect the data. Chi-square test, independent t-test, and ANCOVA were used to analyze the data.In the intervention group, there was a significant increase in the scores of sexual desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and sexual satisfaction, while the score of pain reduced significantly after eight weeks of intervention (p<0.001). The mean total score of sexual function prior to the intervention was 19.61 ± 5.02 and 21.46 ± 3.08 in the intervention and control groups, respectively. After intervention, this score was improved in the intervention group compared to the control group (25.21 ± 1.62 vs. 21.82 ± 3, p<0.001). The pre-intervention score of trait anxiety was 47.97 ± 4.68 and 48.44 ± 5.89 in the intervention and control groups, respectively, which was improved in the intervention group compared to the control group after intervention (51.63 ± 3.53 vs. 48.13 ± 5.57, p<0.001). Although there was an improvement in the score of state anxiety in the intervention group compared to the control group, the difference was not statistically significant (43.31 ± 6.41 vs. 44.30 ± 8.87, p=0.397).Rose damascene could significantly improve the sexual functions of breastfeeding women. It also decreased the trait anxiety but failed to improve the state anxiety significantly.Using this herb is recommended to enhance sexual performance in breastfeeding women.

    Keywords: Sexual function, breastfeeding, state anxiety, trait anxiety, reproductive

    Received: 17 Jul 2024; Accepted: 20 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Gohar, Abedi, Jahanfar, Sadeghi, Fakhri and Maraghi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Parvin Abedi, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

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