Introduction. Sexuality is an important aspect of human life and sexual problems are common, but there is limited
evidence for cost-effective treatments of women’s sexual dysfunctions.
Aims. The aim of this study was to assess whether group therapy such as Sexual Health Model (SHM) can be as
effective as individual therapy like Permission, Limited Information, Specific Suggestions, and Intensive Therapy
(PLISSIT) model in women with sexual problems.
Methods. A randomized controlled trial was conducted between May 2012 and September 2013 in five Tehran, Iran
health clinics. Eighty-four consecutive married women aged 20–52 years, with sexual problems who were admitted
for the first time, were recruited and randomized into two groups. The intervention included two therapeutic
models: the SHM, which consisted of two sessions of 3 hours of group education, and the PLISSIT model, which
required a total of 6 hours of one-on-one consultation at an interval of 1–2 weeks.
Main Outcome Measures. Sexual function and sexual distress were assessed, respectively, with the Brief Index of
Sexual Function for Women and Female Sexual Distress Scale Revised questionnaires.
Results. Seven months after intervention, the mean (SD) of the sexual distress score decreased and sexual composite
score increased significantly in both groups (P < 0.001). The overall analysis of repeated measure manova revealed
borderline significance differences for combined outcomes between two groups (P = 0.051).
Conclusions. Due to the considerable human resource, time, and cost spent conducting the PLISSIT, it seems that
group education based on SHM could be more cost-efficient and nearly as effective. This conclusion may be more
applicable in communities where the treatment of sexual problems is in the beginning stages and where people have
not received any sexual education or knowledge during their lifetime