Prevalence of Sexual Dysfunction among Expectant Women

Abstract

<b>Purpose</b> To identify pregnancy as a causative factor of sexual dysfunction among expectant women. <b>Methods</b> A prospective study with 225 expectant mothers seen in the prenatal clinic of a federal university. Sexual function was evaluated by means of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and all domains were analyzed (desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain). Initially, a univariate analysis of the sample was done. The averages for each domain according to the risk of sexual dysfunction (FSFI ≤ 26.5) were compared using the Student's <i>t</i>-test for independent samples. The strength of the correlation between sexual dysfunction and all sociodemographic, clinical and behavioral variables was measured by the Chi-Square (χ²) test. Then, odds ratios (ORs) and their confidence intervals were assigned to perform a bivariate analysis. Any <i>p</i> values less than 0.05 were considered significant. <b>Results</b> Approximately two-thirds of the women (66.7%) showed signs of risk of sexual dysfunction (FSFI ≤ 26.5). Within these cases, all sexual dysfunction domains (desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain) were found to be statistically significant (<i>p</i> < 0.001). The domains most affected were desire (2.67), satisfaction (2.71) and arousal (2.78). <b>Conclusions</b> Pregnancy appears to be an important causative factor of sexual dysfunction among pregnant women.