Depression and anxiety as risk factors for female sexual pain

Sexual dysfunction and quality of life in female patients with major depression disorder

Background

Major depression can negatively affect different domains in patients’ psychosexual life. Many females with depression have sexual dysfunction which goes under diagnosed leading to reduced sexual and overall health quality of life. The aim of this study is to evaluate the risk of sexual dysfunction, sexual quality of life, and general health quality of life in a sample of Egyptian females diagnosed with major depression compared to a control group.

Results

The sample consisted of 100 participants recruited by convenience sampling, divided into a case group (50 female patients diagnosed with major depression enrolled from our institute’s outpatient clinic) and a control group (50 apparently healthy matched females enrolled from employees working in the university hospitals). Patients answered The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders, the Female Sexual Function Index, the Sexual Quality Of Life-Female, and the WHO Quality of Life. Descriptive data analysis showed that all patients with major depression had a higher risk of sexual dysfunction compared to 36% in the control group, with higher rates of marital conflicts, unemployment, positive psychiatric family history and lower monthly income than those in controls. Correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between the sexual quality of life in the case group and the psychosexual feelings (emotional intimacy), self-worthlessness and the total score domains of the FSFI, and a positive correlation with psychosexual feelings, sexual relationship satisfaction, and self-worthlessness domains in the control group. Female sexual functioning scores were positively correlated with most of the WHO quality of life domains in the case group.

Conclusions

Female patients with major depression are distinctly prone to sexual dysfunction and marital problems that can lead to both defective sexual and overall health quality of life. This mandates thorough screening of the psychosocial risks of sexual dysfunction in patients with depression for early management and more satisfactory quality of life.

Women's sexual function before and during COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

To systematically review and summarize the available literature regarding the women's sexual function during COVID‐19 pandemic and compare it to pre‐pandemic period.

Methods

We searched PubMed and Embase from the inception of the databases until 15th April 2021. Data regarding the sexual function, measured by female sexual function index (FSFI), of adult sexually active women were extracted from the eligible studies and compared between the before and during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The secondary outcome was the frequency of intercourse during pandemic time. The random‐effect model was used to pool the mean differences and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Heterogeneity was assessed using the I² value.

Results

Our search resulted in a sample of six eligible studies, which involved 1114 female participants. The total FSFI score among study participants during pandemic was 22.93 (95% CI: 19.26–26.59), which indicated a significant decrease in sexual function of women during pandemic as compared to pre‐pandemic time (mean difference = −3.80, 95% CI: −6.48 to −1.12, p = 0.005, I² = 96%). We also conducted a meta‐analysis of individual FSFI domains. During pandemic, women had problems with arousal (p < 0.0001), orgasm (p = 0.0008), satisfaction (p = 0.0009), and pain (p = 0.009). No significant difference in frequency of intercourse was observed between pre‐ and during pandemic (p = 0.80). Furthermore, no significant publication bias was present among included studies.

Conclusion

Overall, there was a significant decrease in sexual function of sexually active adult women during COVID‐19 pandemic. The most affected areas of sexual function were arousal, orgasm, pain, and satisfaction. Physicians must be aware of COVID‐19 impact on sexual life of women and provide proper counseling.