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khani S, azizi M, firoozi A, nikbakht R, salehi N, Heydari F. The Relationship Between Sexual Function and Emotional Intelligence among Reproductive-aged Women: A Systematic Review. CPR 2026; 3 (2) :69-78
URL: http://cpr.mazums.ac.ir/article-1-159-en.html

Background and Objective: Emotional intelligence (EI) is important for human behavior and can influence sexual health outcomes. Investigating how EI relates to women’s sexual health can improve our understanding of psychological and relational factors affecting sexual well-being. This systematic review aimed to synthesize empirical evidence on the association between EI and sexual function (SF) among reproductive-aged women, taking into account psychological and relational factors affecting sexual well-being.
Materials & Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar to find studies assessing EI and SF. After duplicate screening and removal, six cross-sectional studies with 1618 women aged 15-49 years were included. The quality of studies was assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Due to heterogeneity in assessment tools, populations and statistical methods narrative synthesis was used.
Results: The majority of the studies reported a positive relationship between EI and SF, which included sexual desire, arousal, orgasm and overall sexual satisfaction. Reported correlations ranged from r= −0.21 to r=0.61. The regression analyses showed that the components of EI, such as emotional awareness, self-regulation, interpersonal skills, and stress management, accounted for up to 37% of the variance in SF. However, differences in EI dimensions, SF domains, cultural contexts and study settings were found. One study showed a negative association between EI and sexual desire.
Conclusion: In conclusion, higher EI is associated with better SF and relational satisfaction in women of reproductive age. More longitudinal and cross-cultural studies are needed to untangle causal relations and to evaluate the effects of EI-based interventions on sexual and psychological well-being.