Although potentially disabling for couples, genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder (GPP/PD) is still not well understood. In Muslim countries, this condition reaches high levels, which could be because of the traditional social background. In this study, we aimed to identify the sociocultural determinants leading to GPP/PD in countries in the Middle East/North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and Turkey and to discuss the implications on management.

This systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies was conducted on three databases: Medline, Embase, and Google Scholar. The review includes all-time articles that examined the sociocultural factors related to GPP/PD in Muslim societies. The majority of the couples had poor sexual education despite their high educational level. They often visited traditional healers, general practitioners, and gynecologists before being referred to sexologists. With adequate treatment, the majority could achieve penetration rapidly.

Muslim countries show high levels of PD, which might be due to their strict religious background. The latter should be integrated into the management for better results.