Research on IPV and its impact on adults has been a focus of recent studies. For example, Semenza et al. (2024) examined the relationship between physical IPV victimization and emotional wellbeing, specifically threat sensitivity, intolerance of uncertainty, and impulse control, as well as access to resources for emotional regulation. This study highlighted the importance of understanding the emotional harm caused by IPV in romantic relationships. In this same line, the experiences of young women with IPV within romantic relationships have also been studied, focusing on the impact on education and overall wellbeing (Klencakova et al., 2023). In addition, in a recent systematic review and meta-analysis, White et al. (2024) showed that IPV is highly prevalent among women and is associated with increased odds of mental health like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicidality. Overall, research indicates that IPV can have significant negative outcomes. Understanding the various outcomes and domains affected by IPV is crucial for developing interventions and support systems for individuals experiencing IPV within romantic relationships.

Research on IPV and its impact on sexual health has been a significant area of study in recent years worldwide. To build on this knowledge, sexual health is defined as “a state of physical, emotional, mental, and social wellbeing in relation to sexuality” (World Health Organization, 2017, p. 3). This definition highlights the importance of promoting safe and satisfying sexual experiences that are free from violence, discrimination, and coercion (World Health Organization, 2017). Moreover, sexual health is connected to Human and Sexual Rights, enabling individuals to enjoy and control their sexual behavior without fear or stigma, which in turn supports healthy sexual relationships (Aggleton et al., 2014; World Health Organization, 2017). Additionally, it has implications for public health outcomes, encompassing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) concerns and issues surrounding abortion, both of which are exacerbated by intimate partner violence. IPV has shown a significant negative impact on sexual health in adults, affecting both men and women. A study carried out in Spain showed that Spanish men and women who experienced physical or non-physical abuse within intimate relationships exhibited poorer sexual health outcomes, including sexual desire, sexual arousal, erection, ability to orgasm, and sexual satisfaction (Sierra et al., 2021). In other studies, sexual violence, a prevalent aspect of IPV, has been associated with detrimental consequences for women's psychological sexual wellbeing, highlighting the profound negative effects on women's health and quality of life (Barbara et al., 2022; Jordan, 2023). In the systematic review by Coker (2007), 51 quantitative studies from 1966 to 2006 consistently showed associations between physical IPV and sexual health issues, including STIs and risky sexual behaviors. All these findings underscore the urgent need for a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach, involving professionals from various fields such as healthcare providers, psychologists, and sexologists, to address the implications of IPV for sexual health and provide effective support to survivors (Barbara et al., 2022; Wright et al., 2021). Furthermore, to promote overall sexual wellbeing, researchers and healthcare professionals must recognize and address the intricate relationship between IPV and sexual health so they can develop more effective strategies to support adults in achieving optimal sexual health and overall wellbeing.

A recent systematic review of the relationship between IPV and sexual health could yield a more robust and up-to-date understanding of this issue. Previous studies, including work Coker's (2007), have highlighted the need for further research on IPV's impact on sexual health. Besides, such a review could highlight areas where current research is limited and provide valuable insights for new approaches to IPV adults in romantic relationships. Therefore, this study aims to address key gaps by reviewing recent literature (2014–2024) on the negative effects of IPV on adult sexual health. It will examine IPV's impact on sexual health indicators, explore mechanisms across genders, and provide insights to guide future research and interventions. The selected 10-year period is appropriate for gathering a substantial number of relevant studies and identifying trends in the literature. The decision to use 2014 as a starting point is justified, as 17 countries had legalized same-sex marriage by that year, with an additional 18 countries doing so between 2014 and 2024. This increase in the visibility of same-sex relationships is likely to promote greater attention to issues such as IPV within same-sex marriages. The analyzed studies are expected to reflect this heightened visibility and its implications for sexual health. The cutoff date of 2024 ensures that the review incorporates the most current literature, taking into account significant changes in relational dynamics in this context.

The review questions were:

The protocol for this systematic review adhered to the guidelines set forth by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) (Page et al., 2021).

A systematic search of databases was conducted by the medical librarian of the University of [blinded] in February 2024. Databases searched included PubMed MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, PsychINFO, PsychArticles, SocINDEX, Journals@OVID, and ProQuest Central. Databases were searched for peer-reviewed articles published between January 2014 and February 2024 and a combination of keywords and controlled vocabulary were used where appropriate. A Boolean search syntax using the operators “AND” and “OR” was applied. The keywords “Intimate Partner Violence”, “Intimate Partner Violence”, “Intimate Partner Abuse”, “Dating Violence”, and “Spouse abuse” were utilized for IPV-related construct. The keywords “Sexual Health”, “Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological”, “Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological”, “Libido”, “Erectile Dysfunction”, “Orgasm”, “Sexual Arousal”, “Sexual health”, “Sexual dysfunction”, “Psychosexual dysfunction”, “Psychosexual disorder”, “Sexual pleasure”, “Sexual desire”, “Hypoactive sexual desire disorder”, “Sexual aversion disorder”, “Sexual arousal”, “Sexual arousal disorder”, “Erectile dysfunction”, “Orgasm”, “Orgasmic disorder”, “Anorgasmia”, “Sexual satisfaction”, and “Sexual gratification” were utilized for any sexual health construct. An example of PubMed search is as follows {[“Intimate Partner Violence”[Mesh] OR “Intimate Partner Violence”[tiab] OR “Intimate Partner Abuse”[tiab] OR “Dating Violence”[tiab] OR “Spouse abuse”[tiab]] AND [“Sexual Health”[Mesh] OR “Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological”[Mesh] OR “Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological”[Mesh] OR “Libido”[Mesh] OR “Erectile Dysfunction”[Mesh] OR “Orgasm”[Mesh] OR “Sexual Arousal”[Mesh] OR “Sexual health”[tiab] OR “Sexual dysfunction”[tiab] OR “Psychosexual dysfunction”[tiab] OR “Psychosexual disorder”[tiab] OR “Sexual pleasure”[tiab] OR “Sexual desire”[tiab] OR “Hypoactive sexual desire disorder”[tiab] OR “Sexual aversion disorder”[tiab] OR “Sexual arousal”[tiab] OR “Sexual arousal disorder”[tiab] OR “Erectile dysfunction”[tiab] OR “Orgasm”[tiab] OR “Orgasmic disorder”[tiab] OR “Anorgasmia”[tiab] OR “Sexual satisfaction”[tiab] OR “Sexual gratification”[tiab]]}.

The eligibility criteria for this systematic review encompassed the following: (a) Inclusion of studies examining intimate partner violence (IPV) alongside variables related to sexual health; (b) inclusion of studies establishing an association between IPV and sexual health variables; (c) consideration of studies employing quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods research designs, particularly those of a descriptive-empirical nature; (d) inclusion of studies involving adult participants; and, (e) acceptance of articles published in either English or Spanish. Conversely, exclusion criteria encompassed documents employing alternative methodological designs (such as systematic or bibliographic reviews, or meta-analysis), different document types (e.g., doctoral theses or other academic works), studies conducted in languages other than English or Spanish, studies featuring adolescents and/or children as participants, and studies lacking an analysis of both sexual health and their relationship with IPV variables.

Initially, 314 article citations were retrieved, resulting in 459 citations after deduplication using EndNote bibliographic software and Covidence systematic review software. Two hundred and two citations were screened by title and abstract, and 53 articles proceeded to full-text screening. Covidence systematic review software was utilized to screen each retrieved record and assess its alignment with the inclusion criteria specified for this review.

The risk of bias in study selection was evaluated by independently assessing the scientific quality, robustness, methodological transparency, and reliability of results using two different assessment tools. One tool was based on the guidelines outlined by Loney et al. (1998), and the other was the Evidence Appraisal of a Single Study Form for Descriptive Study, Epidemiology Study, and Case Series provided by LEGEND Evidence Evaluation Tools and Resources (Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 2024). These tools facilitated the evaluation of aspects such as the appropriateness of the study method and the unbiased measurement of outcomes. The two assessment tools for this study were also adapted to evaluate qualitative studies, with questions tailored accordingly. After full-text screening and assessment, 27 articles were included in the review. The list of the 27 included papers is shown in Table 1. Since no human participation was involved, ethical review requirements were not applicable. For this work, it was tabulated, for better visualization, the authors and year of publication, the location where the study was carried out, the samples, type of samples, type of study's methodology, measure(s) used for assessing IPV and sexual health variables, key finding related to the association of interest.

Our systematic review examined studies investigating the relationship between IPV and sexual health across various contexts. Although the study search spanned from 2014 to 2024, the articles reviewed for this paper that met the inclusion criteria were from 2015 to 2024. As shown in Table 1, notable contributions and sustained interest in this field came from researchers such as Hellemans et al. (2015) or Overstreet et al. (2015) to more recent work by Cha et al. (2023) and Callands et al. (2024). The studies covered a wide geographical range. The research articles reviewed were carried out in countries from the five continents. For example, in Africa, studies were conducted in Ghana (e.g., Tenkorang, 2019), Liberia (e.g., Callands et al., 2024), and Malawi (e.g., Ruark et al., 2017). In the Americas, there was evidence of work in Canada (e.g., Ferlatte et al., 2018), Chile (e.g., Bustos and Pérez, 2018), and the United States (e.g., Cha et al., 2023; Gibson et al., 2019; Kelley et al., 2019). In Asia, research was found in China (e.g., Jiang et al., 2020) and Iran (e.g., Bahrami_Vazir et al., 2020). For Europe, studies were conducted in Belgium (e.g., Hellemans et al., 2015), England (e.g., Miltz et al., 2019), the Netherlands (e.g., Loeffen et al., 2016), and Spain (e.g., Martínez-Madrid et al., 2021; Sierra et al., 2021). Finally, research was also found in Australia (e.g., FitzPatrick et al., 2022; Hutchinson et al., 2023). It is worth mentioning that most of the research was carried out in the United States.

Research on the connection between intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual health has expanded significantly in recent years, broadening in both scope and geographic reach while incorporating diverse methodologies. Contemporary studies span a variety of global regions and predominantly rely on quantitative approaches, often utilizing standardized IPV assessments. The evidence consistently demonstrates that IPV has a detrimental effect on sexual health, heightening the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unintended pregnancies, and sexual dissatisfaction. Over the past decade, this body of research has cultivated a deeper, more nuanced understanding of IPV's complex impact on sexual health, revealing negative outcomes not only among heterosexual women but also across a range of different populations.

Sample sizes varied considerably, ranging from 28 participants in Bagwell-Gray's (2019) qualitative study to 83,329 in Kelley et al.'s (2019) large-scale quantitative research. The majority of studies employed quantitative methodologies (e.g., Hellemans et al., 2015; Jiang et al., 2020), while some used qualitative approaches (e.g., Bagwell-Gray, 2019; Storholm et al., 2023), providing in-depth insights into participants' experiences. There were no mixed-method studies.

Across studies, IPV was consistently associated with poorer sexual health outcomes. The relationship between IPV and sexual health proves complex, and heavily influenced by gender identity and sexual orientation. The majority of the studies examined the relationship between IPV and sexual health in cisgender heterosexual women. For example, Overstreet et al. (2015) examined a sample of 186 HIV-negative women in the U.S., finding that psychological, physical, and sexual IPV were significantly associated with risky sexual behaviors, that is, engaging in sexual activities without proper protection. Logie et al. (2016) studied 128 internally displaced women in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, finding that those who experienced physical violence were less likely to report condom use. Willie et al. (2018) found a significant positive association between state-level IPV rates and HIV diagnosis rates among women in the U.S. In Ghana, Tenkorang (2019) found significant associations between physical and sexual violence and unintended pregnancies among 2,289 married women. Sierra et al. (2021) studied 2,133 heterosexual Spanish women, finding that IPV was associated with reduced assertiveness, STI prevention, sexual fantasies, desire, arousal, orgasm, and satisfaction. Hutchinson et al. (2023) reported that in a sample of 15,820 Australian women, IPV was linked to higher probabilities of STIs, endometriosis, infertility, pregnancy termination, and miscarriage. Physical violence specifically was associated with increased miscarriage risk. In clinical settings, several studies highlighted IPV's impact on women's sexual health. Loeffen et al. (2016) found in a sample of 262 Dutch women that IPV was significantly associated with lower abdominal pain, vaginal discharge, itching/pain, dyspareunia, miscarriage, induced abortion, and low birth weight. Bustos and Pérez (2018) reported that psychological IPV was significantly associated with poorer sexual function among Chilean women attending gynecological or family planning appointments. Gibson et al. (2019) found that among 2,016 middle-aged and older women, sexual IPV was associated with vaginal dryness, irritation, and pain during intercourse. Kelley et al. (2019) reported that in a sample of 83,329 postmenopausal U.S. women, IPV was linked to higher rates of overall and frequency-related sexual dissatisfaction. A qualitative study by Bagwell-Gray (2019) with 28 women found that IPV was related to unprotected sex with an abusive partner, leading to STI risks, endometriosis, unintended pregnancies, and miscarriages. Bahrami_Vazir et al. (2020) found that pregnant Iranian women who experienced IPV were more likely to exhibit sexual dysfunction. Martínez-Madrid et al. (2021) found in a sample of 187 Spanish women that IPV was negatively associated with sexual function in all domains except lubrication in postmenopausal women. Porter and Mittal (2022) reported that among 173 HIV-negative heterosexual women who experienced IPV, there was a significant negative association between IPV and self-efficacy in maintaining safe sexual relationships, specifically in the context of preventing the acquisition of infections. FitzPatrick et al. (2022) found that in a sample of 1,346 pregnant Australian women, emotional and physical IPV both were associated with having vaginal sex “too soon” and painful sex after childbirth. Peasant et al. (2018) reported that among 200 college women, psychological IPV was associated with lower condom use negotiation and, consequently, lower condom use with non-casual partners. Similarly, Orchowski et al. (2020) found that among 178 college women, physical and sexual IPV were associated with frequent unprotected sex due to partner resistance to condom use and lower sexual assertiveness.

Research on IPV and sexual health in cisgender heterosexual men is more limited but provides valuable insights. Ruark et al. (2017) reported that among Malawian men, only emotional IPV was significantly associated with low sexual satisfaction. In the previously mentioned study carried out by Sierra et al. (2021), they also assessed 1,628 heterosexual Spanish men, finding that non-physical and physical abuse both were significantly associated with various negative sexual health outcomes, such as decreased sexual assertiveness, STI prevention, sexual desire, and satisfaction. Hellemans et al. (2015) found in a sample of 195 Turkish men living in Belgium that both physical and psychological IPV were associated with sexual dysfunction. Callands et al. (2024) reported that among 179 sub-Saharan men, IPV experience was associated with STI diagnosis or symptoms. In addition, Cha et al. (2023) examined a larger, more diverse sample of 7,777 low socioeconomic status individuals (men and women) from 17 U.S. urban cities, finding that IPV experience was associated with more HIV testing, sex for money or drugs, and unprotected sex with an HIV-positive partner for both genders.

Moreover, some other studies included men who have sex with men (MSM), and only one study included transgender individuals. In the case of MSM sample studies, IPV is referred to as Same-sex Intimate Partner Violence (SSIPV; Murray and Mobley, 2009; Murray et al., 2007). Rosenthal and Starks (2015) studied 192 individuals in same-sex relationships, finding a significant negative association between SSIPV and sexual satisfaction and communication. Ferlatte et al. (2018) found that among 7,872 gay and bisexual men in Canada, SSIPV was associated with syphilis diagnosis. In a study of 436 men, mostly men who have sex with men, Miltz et al. (2019) reported that lifetime and recent SSIPV victimization were positively associated with chemsex and internalized homophobia. Jiang et al. (2020) found that among 976 Chinese men who have sex with men, SSIPV was associated with high-risk sexual behaviors, psychological distress affecting sexual decision-making, physical injuries affecting sexual function, and barriers to sexual health services, such as STI/HIV testing behavior. Hutchinson et al. (2023) noted that sexual orientation, particularly identifying as bisexual, played a significant role in the relationship between SSIPV and sexual and reproductive health outcomes. In addition, a qualitative study by Storholm et al. (2023) with 23 sexually diverse men who experienced IPV revealed a complex relationship between SSIPV and sexual health, in which power dynamics influenced condom use, with cases of coercion and forced unprotected sex. Also, responses to Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) varied, and perspectives on HIV/STIs were diverse, including violence after disclosure and intentional transmission by abusive partners. As mentioned above, the only study that included transgender individuals was carried out by Parsons et al. (2018), who conducted a study with 212 transgender individuals from the New York metropolitan area, finding that IPV was associated with higher rates of transactional sex and HIV risk behaviors. These studies collectively underscore the critical intersection of IPV and negative sexual health outcomes in sexually and gender-diverse individuals, highlighting how experiences of IPV can negatively impact not only sexual wellbeing but also efforts for preventing STIs/HIV.

This systematic review, while comprehensive, has several notable limitations. The predominance of quantitative studies and the scarcity of mixed-methods research may restrict the depth of understanding regarding the complex IPV-sexual health relationship. A significant gap exists in research on transgender individuals –especially transgender men–, sexually diverse women, and non-binary people, limiting our insight into IPV's impact across the full spectrum of gender identities and sexual orientations. The limited research on intimate partner violence (IPV) and its link to sexual health among women in same-sex relationships, particularly lesbian and bisexual women, is shaped by several interrelated factors. One major issue is the historical emphasis on heterosexual women in IPV studies, which has left the experiences of lesbian and bisexual women underrepresented and insufficiently understood (Islam, 2021; Porsch et al., 2023). This gap may be due to challenges in interpreting traditional gender roles, where women are stereotypically seen as “nurturing” and “subordinate” (Stevens et al., 2010). This heteronormative perspective not only oversimplifies IPV dynamics in same-sex relationships but also diminishes the perceived importance of these experiences. Moreover, lesbian and bisexual women often face dual layers of stigma—both societal discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation and biases in healthcare settings as IPV survivors (Islam, 2021; Lo, 2023). The intersecting stigmas faced by queer women reduce the visibility of IPV in their lives, perpetuating the marginalization of their experiences and limiting research on this critical issue (Islam, 2021). Therefore, it is crucial to recognize and address their unique experiences with intimate partner violence, emphasizing the need for a more inclusive and comprehensive approach in both education and support (Harden et al., 2022).

Another key limitation is the geographical bias in the reviewed studies, with an overrepresentation of research from the U.S. and other Western countries. This imbalance may limit the generalizability of findings to diverse cultural and non-Western contexts, where IPV dynamics and health infrastructure differ. Moreover, publication bias favors studies from resource-rich, Western settings, potentially skewing the evidence base. Future research should include more studies from varied global contexts to address this bias. Additionally, there seems to be a limited exploration of intersectionality, potentially overlooking how various social identities interact to influence IPV and sexual health outcomes. Lastly, there appears to be a limited exploration of protective factors and resilience in the face of IPV. These limitations underscore the need for more diverse, comprehensive, and culturally sensitive approaches in future research on the relationship between IPV and sexual health.