Risk factors associated with female sexual dysfunction among married women in Upper Egypt; a cross sectional study

Abstract

Background: Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) has many psychological and social negative consequences. The aim of this study is to detect the potential risk factors associated with FSD among sexually active women in Beni-Suef, Egypt. Methods: A multi-stage random sampling methodology was used to include 490 premenopausal women, residing in Beni-Suef, in this cross-sectional study. FSD was measured using the Arabic version of the female sexual function index (ArFSFI), throughout an interview. It includes 6 domains; desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction and pain. The questions in each domain have five to six choices with a score ranging between zero and five. Results: Age, years of marriage and number of pregnancies correlated negatively with ArFSFI total score (p<0.05). Higher body mass index was associated with lower scores of desire, arousal and lubrication (p<0.05). Compared to those with constant job, unemployed women had lower scores of desire and arousal (p<0.05). No statistically significant associations have been detected between circumcision and any of the studied ArFSFI domains (p>0.05). Conclusions: There are many potential risk factors suggested to be associated with FSD. Further studies should focus on understanding the adaptive strategies used by women to get over their FSD problems. Barriers preventing women with FSD from seeking treatment should also be investigated.