THE EFFECT OF SEXUAL COUNSELING BASED ON THE EXPLISSIT MODEL ON SEXUAL FUNCTION, MARITAL ADJUSTMENT, AND QUALITY OF SEXUAL LIFE IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Group receiving sexual counseling based on the EX PLISSIT model..
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Sexual and Reproductive Health, Menopausal and Postmenopausal Women. Basic parameters: 43 years — 55 years · Female.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Turkey (Türkiye)
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
THE EFFECT OF SEXUAL COUNSELING BASED ON THE EXPLISSIT MODEL ON SEXUAL FUNCTION, MARITAL ADJUSTMENT, AND QUALITY OF SEXUAL LIFE IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY
Overview
Sexual health is not merely about sexual dysfunction, but a complex, diverse, and multifaceted natural process encompassing a wide range of aspects of human life, extending from childhood to old age. Quality of sexual life refers to an individual's satisfaction with their sexual life. Due to increased life expectancy, women spend more than a third of their lives in the postmenopausal period. Contrary to expectations, sexuality becomes increasingly important for women in the postmenopausal period. The postmenopausal period, following menopause, brings about vasomotor, psychological, and urogenital changes and complaints, as well as various health problems. These changes and complaints can impair sexual function, sexual satisfaction, and marital harmony, negatively impacting the quality of sexual life. The literature indicates that sexual satisfaction is one of the most important factors affecting marital harmony, and that sexual dissatisfaction diminishes positive emotions and intimacy within marriage. The postmenopausal period has a significant impact not only on life expectancy but also on couples' sexual health and marital harmony. However, the assessment of this issue by healthcare personnel is often neglected. Assessing patients' sexual health and concerns about sexuality is an important part of the professional nursing role and holistic care. For this purpose, it is stated that participation in special training programs aimed at assessing patient sexuality and the use of models that will provide guidance can be beneficial . The use of professional sexual diagnostic models by nurses in assessing patient sexuality will lead to a healthier and more effective questioning and evaluation of sexuality. The PLISSIT and EX-PLISSIT models are commonly used by nurses in primary care to address sexual health needs and concerns. The PLISSIT model consists of four therapeutic stages: Permission, Limited Information (LI), Specific Suggestions (SS), and Intensive Therapy (IT). As the intervention stages of the PLISSIT model progress, more comprehensive knowledge, training, and skills are required. Ex-PLISSIT is an expanded version of the PLISSIT model, with the permission stage being central. One cannot proceed to the next stage without completing the permission stage
Interventions
- Other Group receiving sexual counseling based on the EX PLISSIT model.
Appointments will be scheduled for the women in the intervention group to meet at a convenient time and in a suitable environment at the hospital. Sexual counseling within the intervention group will be planned and implemented according to the 4 stages of the EX-PLISSIT model, focusing on the patients' sexual health. Counseling sessions will be conducted by a nurse specializing in sexuality (first author) with a sexual counseling certificate, under the direct supervision of a faculty member spec
Primary outcome measures
- Measuring the impact of sexual counseling based on the EX PLISSIT model [Time frame: two months]
Secondary outcome measures (1)
- Measuring the impact of sexual counseling based on the EX PLISSIT model [Time frame: two months]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Being sexually active
- Living with a spouse/partner
- Having at least a primary school diploma
- Being in the postmenopausal period
- Agreeing to participate in the study
- Having entered menopause naturally
- Scoring ≤26.55 on the FSFI scal
Exclusion criteria
- Being on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and not having discontinued HRT treatment at least six months prior to the study
- Having undergone surgical menopause
- Not having entered menopause at an early or late age (over 40 and under 55 years of age)
- Having a chronic systemic disease and/or a psychiatric health problem
- Having a disability that makes communication difficult, such as hearing or language problems
- Having received any sexual counseling before the study
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Single blind
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
Study locations
Turkey (Türkiye) · 1 center
- Selcuk University — Konya
Publications
- Zahan, A., Sharma, N. K., Islam, M. N., Sen, S., & Bhowmik, K. R. (2025). Menopausal Symptoms and Coping Strategies among Women of 40-60 Years Age-Group: A Tertiary Care Hospital Experience from Bangladesh. Community Based Medical Journal, 14(1), 54-60.
- World Health Organization. (2017). Sexual health and its linkages to reproductive health: An operational approach. Accessed 02. 05. 2020, https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/97892415 49998.
- Üstgörül, S., Yanıkkerem, E., & Göker, A. (2025). Investigation of the Effect of Counseling Given to Postpartum Women with the EX-PLISSIT Model on Sexual. The Family Journal, 10664807241312203.
- Taylor B, Davis S. Using the extended PLISSIT model to address sexual healthcare needs. Nurs Stand. 2006 Nov 22-28;21(11):35-40. doi: 10.7748/ns2006.11.21.11.35.c6382. PMID 17165482
- Shami M, Montazeri A, Faezi ST, Behboodi Moghadam Z. The Effect of Sexual Counseling Based on EX-PLISSIT Model on Improving the Sexual Function of Married Women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Sex Disabil. 2023;41(2):451-466. doi: 10.1007/s11195-023-09776-0. Epub 2023 Feb 27. PMID 37168977
- Rosen R, Brown C, Heiman J, Leiblum S, Meston C, Shabsigh R, Ferguson D, D'Agostino R Jr. The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI): a multidimensional self-report instrument for the assessment of female sexual function. J Sex Marital Ther. 2000 Apr-Jun;26(2):191-208. doi: 10.1080/009262300278597. PMID 10782451
- Nazari, S., Keramatkar, M., Moghdehipanah, H., & Olfati, F. (2023). The effect of ex-PLISSIT model on sexual satisfaction in women with multiple sclerosis. Sexuality and Disability, 41(2), 467-477.
- Mohammadi Z, Maasoumi R, Vosoughi N, Eftekhar T, Soleimani M, Montazeri A. The effect of the EX-PLISSIT model-based psychosexual counseling on improving sexual function and sexual quality of life in gynecologic cancer survivors: a randomized controlled clinical trial. Support Care Cancer. 2022 Nov;30(11):9117-9126. doi: 10.1007/s00520-022-07332-8. Epub 2022 Aug 23. PMID 35997810
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07559916 · DECISION 02-2026/43