Objectives: To evaluate female sexual dysfunction (FSD) in women with interstitial cystitis (IC) versus a control group. Specific areas of FSD in women with IC have not been reported.
Methods: A mailed survey was sent to 5000 randomly selected women from the United States (controls) and 407 women with IC from a large referral center (cases). The Female Sexual Distress Scale and questions about sexual function, desire, orgasm, and pain were included. The Student t test was used to compare the mean values, and the chi-square test was used to compare the proportions between the cases and controls.
Results: During adolescence (the start of menstruation through age 18), having had intercourse, levels of sexual desire, and orgasm frequency did not differ significantly between the cases and controls. However, a significantly greater proportion of cases reported fear of pain (P = 0.018) and pain with intercourse (P = 0.001). In adulthood, a significantly greater proportion of cases reported having pelvic pain, fear of pain during intercourse, and dyspareunia (P <0.001 for all). Furthermore, after the diagnosis of IC, the number of cases reporting moderate to high desire (P <0.001) and orgasm frequently and very frequently declined significantly (P <0.001). The mean value of the Female Sexual Distress Scale was greater among established IC cases (18.5 +/- 14.3) compared with controls (8.3 +/- 10.2; P <0.001). A score of 15 or greater on the Female Sexual Distress Scale has been associated with sexual distress.
Conclusions: Women with IC have significantly more FSD and sexual distress than women without IC. Additional study is needed to explore the multiple factors contributing to FSD in IC.