Original Research—Outcomes Assessment: Development and Validation of a 6-Item Version of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) as a Diagnostic Tool for Female Sexual Dysfunction

Abstract

Introduction A limiting step in the evaluation of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is the availability of a rapid screening procedure. Often, practitioners avoid investigating sexual symptoms due to concerns of insufficient time or lack of proper tools to address FSD. Aim The purpose of this study was to prepare and validate an abridged form of the most popular psychometric diagnostic test (Female Sexual Function Index, FSFI-19) to provide a fast screener of FSD for easy use in outpatient visits, epidemiological studies, and assessment of treatment response. Methods We interviewed and administered the FSFI-19 to 200 women attending outpatient clinics for sexual and reproductive medicine. Forty women were excluded because they had no sexual activity or failed to attend the retest visit. Patients were evaluated on two subsequent visits to validate the abridged form of the questionnaire. Overall, 105 were found to suffer from a FSD. Main Outcome Measure We assessed, individually, the sensibility and sensitivity of all questions of the full-length FSFI. We then estimated the performance of each item with respect to the specific sexual domain they address. By selecting the best combination of performing items in each domain, we built an abridged, 6-item form of the FSFI. Results The Receiver Operating Characteristic curves of the FSFI-6 showed that women who scored ≤19 were classified as having FSD. Using the cut-off of 19, the sensitivity and specificity of the test were, 0.93 and 0.94, respectively. Reliability, internal consistency, and stability on retest were also good. Conclusions The abridged FSFI-6 is a valuable tool for screening women that are likely to suffer from FSD. In six simple questions, taking no more than 3 minutes, a score of less than 19 indicates the need for further investigations, including the full-length FSFI-19 and a dedicated interview. In conclusion, this is a novel tool that can help any doctor to disclose FSD rapidly and efficiently.

Patient-Centered Mental Health Care for Female Veterans

“…Military sexual trauma was indicated if scores were greater than 7 on the MST subscale of the Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory (33). Satisfaction with sexual functioning was evaluated with item 5 from the Female Sexual Function Index (17), "How satisfied have you been with your overall sexual life?" A score of 2, "moderately dissatisfied," or 1, "very dissatisfied," indicated potential need.…”

“…Compared with male veterans, female veterans are more likely to suffer from a mental health condition as well as comorbid chronic general medical conditions (15). When screened by their VHA providers, nearly one-quarter of women reported sexual trauma during military service, which is associated with increased risk of a range of general health and mental health conditions (16,17). Military experiences, comorbid health conditions, or demographic characteristics may influence women's perspectives on health care, including preferences for mental health services and settings that are specifically designated for women.…”

Effect of sildenafil citrate on women affected by sexual dysfunction referred to health clinics

“…Based on their sexual performance and feeling, the women responded to the questions during the last 4 weeks. FSFI has been used in research as a valid instrument to assess sexual function [9][10][11]. The reliability of this scale was obtained as 0.70.…”

SIAMS survey on sexological screening during the assisted reproductive technologies in Italy

“…Hence, it is fundamental to consider sexological assessment as an integral part of infertility treatment, through the use of standardised psychometric tools administered by specialists in sexological psychometry [17,18]. The psychometric tests mostly used during the evaluation of sexual function are the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT), Structured Interview of Erectile Dysfunction (SIEDY) and the related short forms [18][19][20][21][22].…”