Non-pharmacological interventions for female sexual dysfunction in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review

Sexual function is a multidimensional phenomenon affected by many different physical, physiological, and mental factors. Sexual dysfunction (SD) can affect the different aspects of personal and familial health. Non-pharmacological interventions for SD management have received great attention in recent years, though SD is still mostly managed using pharmacological interventions.

In this scoping review, we searched the PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases to find relevant studies published between January 2014 and February 2024.

Twenty articles were included in the review. Non-pharmacological interventions such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, sexual education and counseling based on theories and models, mindfulness-based cognitive-behavioral sex therapy, phytotherapy and vaginal electrical stimulation, multimedia applications, and sexual health education programs can improve women's sexual function.

Given the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions and the heavy costs of pharmacological interventions, non-pharmacological interventions can be used for SD management in low- and middle-income countries.