Correlates of Sexual Function in a Sample of Spanish Women with Endometriosis

J Clin Med. 2021 Oct 26;10(21):4957. doi: 10.3390/jcm10214957.

Abstract

Background: In the present study, we aim to report on the sexual function of women experiencing symptoms of endometriosis, analysing the clinical and psychosocial factors that may be associated.

Methods: A multicentre cross-sectional study was performed to analyse the sexual function in a sample of 196 Spanish women with endometriosis, using the Female Sexual Function Inventory.

Results: The Female Sexual Function Inventory (FSFI) was validated in our endometriosis study group. The mean FSFI score for the sample was 22.5 (SD 6.6), with 20.9 and 26.9 being in the 25th and 75th percentiles, respectively. Although physical sexual pain and dyspareunia were factors that influenced the sexual function of women with endometriosis, our results show that the impairment was multifactorial.

Conclusions: We found impaired sexual function in women diagnosed with endometriosis. The final model included deep endometriosis, depression, age, and unemployment as strongest predictive factors for poor (deteriorated) sexual function.

Keywords: dyspareunia; endometriosis; female sexual function; psychosocial factors.