Psychosocial predictors of change in sexual activity and sexual function after hysterectomy in women with pelvic pain

Abstract

Background: Potential impact on sexual function is an often-cited concern for many patients considering hysterectomy. The existing literature indicates that sexual function remains stable to slightly improved for most patients who undergo hysterectomy, but most studies demonstrate a small subset of patients in whom sexual function declines after surgery. Unfortunately, there is a lack of clarity as to surgical, clinical, and psychosocial factors that may influence the likelihood of sexual activity after surgery or the magnitude and direction of change in sexual function. Although psychosocial factors are strongly associated with overall female sexual function, there is minimal data exploring the potential impact of these factors on the change in sexual function after hysterectomy.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between baseline psychosocial factors and both sexual activity and sexual function at 6 months after hysterectomy.

Study design: Patients undergoing hysterectomy for benign, non-obstetric indications were prospectively recruited as part of an observational cohort study evaluating presurgical predictors of posthysterectomy outcomes on pain, quality of life, and sexual function. The Female Sexual Function Index was administered before hysterectomy and 6 months after surgery. Presurgical psychosocial assessments included validated self-reported measures of depression, resilience, relationship satisfaction, emotional support, and social participation.

Results: Complete data was available for 193 patients, of whom 149 (77.2%) reported sexual activity at 6 months after hysterectomy. In the binary logistic regression model examining sexual activity at 6 months, older age was associated with a lower likelihood of sexual activity (odds ratio, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.85-0.96; P=.002). Higher relationship satisfaction before surgery was associated with a greater likelihood of sexual activity at 6 months (odds ratio, 1.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.16; P=.008). As expected, preoperative sexual activity was associated with a greater likelihood of postoperative sexual activity (odds ratio, 9.78; 95% confidence interval, 3.95-24.19, P<.001). Analyses using Female Sexual Function Index scores were limited to patients who were sexually active at both time points (n=132 [68.4%]). The total Female Sexual Function Index score did not change significantly from baseline to 6 months, but there were statistically significant changes in several individual domains of sexual function. Patients reported significant improvement in desire (P=.012), arousal (P=.023), and pain (P<.001) domains. However, significant decreases were reported in orgasm (P<.001) and satisfaction (P<.001) domains. The proportion of patients who met the criteria for sexual dysfunction was quite high (>60%) at both time points, but there was not a statistically significant change in the proportion from baseline to 6 months. In the multivariate linear regression model, there was no relationship between change in sexual function score and any of the variables examined, including age, endometriosis history, pelvic pain severity, or psychosocial measures.

Conclusion: In this cohort of patients with pelvic pain undergoing hysterectomy for benign indications, both sexual activity and sexual function remained fairly stable after hysterectomy. Higher relationship satisfaction, younger age, and preoperative sexual activity were associated with a greater probability of sexual activity at 6 months after surgery. Psychosocial factors, such as depression, relationship satisfaction, and emotional support, and history of endometriosis were not related to change in sexual function among patients who were sexually active both before hysterectomy and at 6 months after surgery.

Keywords: chronic pelvic pain; endometriosis; hysterectomy; relationship satisfaction; sexual function.