FSFI scores of women with persistent genital arousal disorder compared with published scores of women with female sexual arousal disorder and healthy controls

Abstract

Introduction. Although persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD) has been mistaken for hypersexuality, there is no research documenting the sexual functioning of PGAD women to support or refute such an assumption. Aim. To compare the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) scores of PGAD women to that of women diagnosed with female sexual arousal syndrome (FSAD) and healthy controls. Methods. The FSFI scores of heterosexual women who met all five features qualifying for a diagnosis of PGAD (N = 172) on an online questionnaire were compared with previously published FSFI scores of women diagnosed with FSAD (N = 128) and healthy controls (N = 131). Main Outcome Measure. Total and subscale scores on the FSFI. Results. On every subscale of the FSFI with the exception of desire, the PGAD women obtained scores between that of the FSAD and the healthy control group. The FSAD women displayed the greatest problems in desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and pain while women with PGAD reported somewhat more desire than the control group but did not meet the cutoff score for sexual dysfunction. PGAD women are more similar to the normal control group than women with FSAD. Conclusions. There is no evidence to support the belief that women who meet criteria for a diagnosis of PGAD are "hypersexual." In fact, their overall sexual functioning falls within the normal range and is significantly better than that of women diagnosed with FSAD. © 2009 International Society for Sexual Medicine.