Is infertility a risk factor for female sexual dysfunction? A case-control study

Abstract

Objective: To determine the impact of infertility on female sexual function.

Design: A case-control study.

Setting: Academic infertility and gynecology practices.

Patient(s): One hundred nineteen women with infertility and 99 healthy female controls without infertility between the ages of 18 and 45 years were included in this study.

Intervention(s): Anonymous survey and Female Sexual Function Index.

Main outcome measure(s): Female Sexual Function Index scores, frequency of sexual intercourse and masturbation, and sex-life satisfaction.

Result(s): Twenty-five percent of our control group had Female Sexual Function Index scores that put them at risk for sexual dysfunction (<26.55), whereas 40% of our patients with infertility met this criterion. Compared with the control group, the patients with infertility had significantly lower scores in the desire and arousal domains and lower frequency of intercourse and masturbation. The patients with infertility retrospectively reported a sex-life satisfaction score that was similar to that of the controls before their diagnosis, whereas their current sex-life satisfaction scores were significantly lower than those of the controls.

Conclusion(s): Women with a diagnosis of infertility were found to be at higher risk for sexual dysfunction on the basis of their Female Sexual Function Index scores compared with women without infertility. The interaction of sexual function and infertility is complex and deserves further study.