Development of Educational Material on Sexual Pain in Women

• Grant number: 25/05466-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: January 01, 2026
• End date: May 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Mariana Arias Avila Vera
• Grantee: Andresa Aguiar dos Santos
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD) is a global issue that negatively impacts women's sexual and reproductive life, including disorders of sexual arousal, orgasm, and the occurrence of pain during penetration or sexual intercourse. The prevalence of FSD varies according to geographical region and factors such as age and education, while the lack of proper diagnosis and ineffective treatments exacerbate the problem. In musculoskeletal pain conditions, Pain Neurophysiology Education (PNE) has shown effectiveness for various outcomes and may be a potential resource for treating sexual pain. Objectives: To develop educational material on female sexual pain. Methods: This study will be conducted in four phases. The first phase involves a scoping review of the literature in databases such as MEDLINE and EMBASE to identify content used in educational interventions. The second phase will be a qualitative study with women experiencing sexual pain, through semi-structured interviews, to identify their doubts and informational needs. In the third phase, a survey study with healthcare professionals who treat women with sexual pain will aim to identify the topics related to sexual pain that they consider important for an educational material for patients with sexual pain. The fourth phase will consist of the development of the educational material, in which the principal researcher will synthesize the results obtained in the previous phases. The content will be structured based on the results from the previous phases. As a result, the expectation is to develop accessible educational material that follows standards of quality, methodological validity, and study reproducibility. It is also expected that these studies will result in at least three publications presenting the results of the scoping review (publication 1), the qualitative study (publication 2), the survey with professionals and the development of the educational material (publication 3). (AU)