Endometriosis doubles the risk of sexual dysfunction: a cross-sectional study in a large amount of patients

Abstract

Introduction: Endometriosis affects several aspects of a woman’s life, including sexual function, but which specific aspects of sexual function remains unclear.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed involving 1001 women divided into two groups, according to the presence or absence of endometriosis. We assessed sexual function, anxiety and depression of patients and correlated these findings with symptoms, locations and types of endometriosis and the affected domains of sexual function. Eighteen completed the forms incorrectly, 294 women (29.9%) were excluded due to severe anxiety and depression. One hundred and six patients had symptoms that could have any relation to endometriosis, so they were also excluded. The final cohort was composed of 254 patients with endometriosis and 329 patients without the disease. Sexual function score was assessed using the female sexual quotient (FSQ); Beck inventories were used to assess anxiety and depression.

Results: Patients with endometriosis were affected in all phases of sexual response: desire, sexual arousal, genital–pelvic pain/ penetration and orgasm/ sexual satisfaction. In the overall assessment, 43.3% of patients with endometriosis had sexual dysfunction, while the population without endometriosis sexual dysfunction occurred in 17.6% of women.

Conclusions: Patients with endometriosis have more than twice sexual dysfunctions as compared to women without the disease.

Chinese abstract

简介:子宫内膜异位症影响妇女生活的诸多方面,包括性功能,但性功能的具体哪个方面尚不清楚。

方法：这项现况调查涉及1001名女性, 根据子宫内膜异位症的有无分成两组。我们评估这些患者的性功能、焦虑和抑郁情况, 并将这些发现与子宫内膜异位症患者的症状、定位和类型以及影响性功能的领域相关联。18名妇女因填写不当、294名妇女 (29.9%)因严重焦虑和抑郁都被排除。106名患者因有与子宫内膜异位症无关的症状也被排除在外。最终队列由254名子宫内膜异位症患者和329名无子宫内膜异位症患者组成。采用女性性商(FSQ)来评估性功能的分数；采用贝克抑郁量表来评估焦虑和抑郁。

结果：子宫内膜异位症患者在性反应的各个阶段都受到影响：包括欲望、性唤起、生殖道-盆腔痛/深入和性高潮/性满足度。在整体评估中, 43.3%的子宫内膜异位症患者有性功能障碍, 而没有子宫内膜异位症的妇女性功能障碍发生率为17.6%。

结论：子宫内膜异位症患者罹患性功能障碍是无该病妇女的两倍多。

Keywords:

• Endometriosis
• quality of life
• sexuality
• sexual dysfunction

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.