Factors associated with sexual function in Iranian women with type 2 diabetes mellitus: partner relationship as the most important predictor

Sexual life experiences of women with diabetes: A systematic review and synthesis of qualitative studies

This study aims to systematically interpret and synthesize the data obtained from qualitative research about the sexual lives of women with diabetes. A thorough literature review was conducted between May and July 2023 across five electronic databases: PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, EBSCO, and Science Direct Embase. Eight studies published in English since 2000, which explored the sexual experiences of women with diabetes, were included in this assessment. The sexual experiences of women with diabetes were summarized under five main themes: perception of sexuality, changes in sexual life, adapting to the new normal, unmet care needs, and expectations. This review underlines the intricate nature of diabetic women's sexual experiences, acknowledging the substantial impact of diabetes-related complications and the associated emotional stress on their quality of life and intimate relationships. The study finds that awareness varies among women, with some adapting to the changes brought on by diabetes, while others remain uninformed about its impact on their sexual health. There is a pronounced need for integrating sexual health into diabetes care routines. Many women face unaddressed sexual health concerns and require education and empathetic care from knowledgeable health professionals.

Evaluation of sexual dysfunction and female sexual dysfunction indicators in women with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide, and one of the long-term complications of this disease is sexual dysfunction in women with type 2 diabetes, which has been studied in fewer studies. The aim of this study is to determine the overall prevalence of sexual dysfunction in women with type 2 diabetes and its indicators with systematic and meta-analysis approach. The present meta-analysis study reviewed articles published foreign journals by searching the MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Science direct, Embase, Proquest and Persian databases, including Iranmedex, Magiran, and SID between January 2000 to December 2018. The heterogeneity of studies was studied using the I2 index and data analysis was carried out in Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software. The Meta-analysis review of 25 studies and 3892 individuals aged 70-18 years showed that the overall prevalence of sexual dysfunction in women with type 2 diabetes was 68.6% (95% CI 61.1-75.3%). The highest and lowest prevalence of sexual dysfunction was 94.4% in Iranian women with type 2 diabetes (95% CI 91.9%-96.3%) in 2014 and 17% in Italian women with diabetes Type 2 (95% CI 6.4-36.9%) in 2015. Results of meta-regression showed that with the increase in sample size and year of study, the overall prevalence of sexual dysfunction decreased and increased, respectively and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Regarding the high prevalence of sexual dysfunction in women with type 2 diabetes, health policymakers need to take appropriate measures to address this disorder in patients with type 2 diabetes.

The Relation of Diabetes Type 2 with Sexual Function among Reproductive Age Women in Iran, a Case-Control Study

Background. Diabetic patients are at the greater risk of retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, and sexual dysfunction compared to the general population. Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sexual dysfunction in type 2 diabetes reproductive age women in Iran. Method. This was a case-control study carried out on 130 women with type 2 diabetes and 130 healthy women. The type 2 diabetes diagnosis was confirmed with abnormal fasting blood sugar, abnormal random blood sugar test, and abnormal level of HbA1C. Eligible women were requested to complete a demographic questionnaire and female sexual function index (FSFI). The chi-square test, independent t-test, and Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) were used for analyzing data. Results. Results of this study showed that diabetic women had significantly lower sexual desire, arousal, lubrication, and orgasm and more pain compared to the healthy women (p < 0.05). Also diabetic women had lower sexual satisfaction compared to the healthy women (p = 0.002). The total score of sexual function was significantly lower in the diabetic women compared to the healthy women (21.25 ± 7.04 versus 22.43 ± 7.6, p = 0.004). Conclusion. Results of this study showed that the score of all dimensions of sexual function in diabetic patients was lower than that in healthy women. Education and counseling about controlling diabetes and sexual function among diabetic women in reproductive age are recommended.

Frequency, severity, and risk factors related to sexual dysfunction in Chinese women with T2D

BACKGROUND

The aim of the present study was to assess the frequency and severity of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) in those with T2D (T2D) compared with non-diabetic controls. In addition, risk factors for FSD were analyzed.

METHODS

Sexual dysfunction, measured using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), was evaluated using a questionnaire in 184 women with T2D and 146 non-diabetic controls at three study sites in China. In the T2D group, FSD was examined by education level, correlations between FSD and other variables were analyzed, and risk factors were studied.

RESULTS

The frequency of FSD in the T2D group was 75.0%, much higher than in the control group (56.2%; P = 0.001). The severity of FSD in the T2D group was 17.84 ± 8.47 (mean ± SD), significantly lower than in the control group (21.14 ± 8.08; P = 0.001). In patients with T2D, being older (P = 0.001), taking oral antidiabetic medications (P = 0.013), and having diabetic neuropathy (P = 0.036) were risk factors for FSD.

CONCLUSIONS

The rate of FSD is high in China and, as seen in the literature, more severe in diabetics than non-diabetics. Being older, taking oral antidiabetic medications, and diabetic neuropathy are risk factors for FSD.

Married Women's Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire; A Developmental and Psychometric Evaluation

Background:

Despite the significant contribution of cultural factors to sexual satisfaction, most of the current sexual satisfaction scales pay little attention, if any, to cultural factors and marital status.

Objectives:

The current study aimed to develop and validate the Married Women’s Sexual Satisfaction Scale.

Patients and Methods:

The current methodological study went through three consecutive phases. In the first phase, the concept of sexual satisfaction was defined and analyzed by the hybrid model approach. In the second phase, an item pool was generated by the findings of the first phase. Finally, the psychometric properties of the scale were evaluated in the third phase. All data analyses were performed by the SPSS version 19.0.

Results:

A 78-item pool was generated based on the findings of the concept analysis phase. After assessing and confirming its face and content validity, 27 items remained in the final version of the scale. The exploratory factor analysis revealed a four-factor structure for the scale. The results of the known-groups comparison showed that females with lower educational status had significantly lower sexual satisfaction. Moreover, there was a significant correlation between the scores of the finalized scale and those of the ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale (r = 0.706, P = 0.01). The interclass correlation between the test and the retest measurements was also statistically significant (ICC = 0.939, P value = 0.001).

Conclusions:

The 27-item Iranian Married Women’s Sexual Satisfaction Scale is a simple, valid, and reliable tool to assess married women’s sexual satisfaction.