Sexual self-esteem in mothers of normal and mentally-retarded children

Sexual self-esteem is negatively influenced by the stressful experiences in lifetime. this study compared the sexual self-esteem and its components in mothers with normal and mentally-retarded children in qaen city,in 2014. a total of 120 mothers were selected and assigned into two groups of 60 samples based on convenient sampling method and randomized multiple stage sampling. both groups completed sexual self-esteem questionnaire. the data were analyzed employing t-test through spss software version15. the results showed that the rate of sexual self-esteem in mothers of mentally-retarded children decreased significantly compared with that of mothers with normal children (p<0.05). moreover,the mean scores of all components of sexual self-esteem including skill and experience,attractiveness,control,moral judgment,and adaptiveness in mothers of mentally-retarded children were significantly less than those of mothers with normal children (p<0.05). therefore,it is recommended that self-esteem,especially the sexual one,be taught to mothers of mentally-retarded children by specialists. © 2017,pakistan medical association. all rights reserved.