Sexual Dysfunction in Women during COVID-19 pandemic: A Hospital-Based, Prospective, Cross-sectional Comparative Study

Abstract

International studies have shown that overall sexual activity and frequency of sexual intercourse decreased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study is to compare the female sexual dysfunction (FSD) rate in women during the COVID-19 pandemic in tertiary hospital in Turkey. Method: A total of 150 participants who were 50 pregnant women (group I), 50 healthcare women (group II) and 50 other women (group III), participated in study. A female sexual function index (FSFI) questionnaire was applied to the women along with the questions of age, education level, delivery methods, smoking, employment status and socioeconomic levels. The sexual dysfunction rate and female sexual function index scores between the groups were compared. Results: The median FSFI score was 23.50 in the present study population. Median scores were 22.1, 26.5, and 23.1 for groups I (pregnant), II (healthcare workers) and III (others), respectively. When the FSFI scores of the groups were compared, the FSFI score of group II was statistically significantly higher than the other groups (p: 0,001). By using the cutoff FSFI score of 26.55, 68.7 % (n:103) of women were diagnosed as having sexual dysfunction. The rates of sexual dysfunction as follows 84%, 52%, and 70% for groups I, II and III, respectively. When analyzed with FSFI domains one by one, it was seen that Group 2 had a statistically significantly higher FSFI score in the areas of Arousal, Lubrication, Orgasm, and Pain compared to the other groups. Conclusions: The prevalence of FSD in Turkey increased during COVID-19 pandemic. When comparing female sexual dysfunction prevalence in groups, the lowest sexual dysfunction prevalence was found in healthcare workers. Prevalence of sexual dysfunction was found to be associated with women's employment and educational status.

Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Female Sexual Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…Research conducted on pregnant women in Iran also showed that higher gestational age was associated with a higher prevalence of sexual dysfunction (24). In Turkey, healthcare staff reported better sexual function scores throughout the COVID-19 crisis than pregnant and other women (P = 0.001) (15). A study conducted on 200 Chinese couples showed that the overall score of sexual function was lower in the women with azoospermia husbands than the women with normal husbands (25.12 ± 5.56 vs. 26.75 ± 4.82, t = -2.22, P = 0.03) (31).…”

“…The main risk factors for reducing female sexual function mentioned in the studies were anxiety (n = 8), depression (n = 5), unemployment or variable employment status (n = 5), lower level of income or economic status (n = 3), older age (n = 3), and fear (n = 3). The education level was examined in 5 studies, 3 of which reported a relationship between a lower level of education and lower scores of sexual function (15,33,34); nevertheless, 2 articles reported such a relationship for university education (5,20). Multiparity and pregnancy were associated with less female sexual function in 2 (5, 20) and 3 (16,20,34) studies, respectively.…”