Treatments of Female Sexual Dysfunction Symptoms during Pregnancy: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Abstract

Introduction: There is a high prevalence of sexual dysfunction symptoms in pregnancy. These symptoms can have a negative impact on women's quality of life and affect couples' relationship.

Aim: To perform a systematic review of the literature to assess the effectiveness and safety of treatments for sexual dysfunction symptoms during pregnancy.

Methods: Six electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, Cochrane CENTRAL, PSYCOINFO, and SCIRUS) were searched from inception to January 2013, without language restrictions. Five trial registers were also assessed for ongoing trials. Trials that reported any type of treatment for female sexual dysfunction symptoms during pregnancy were eligible for inclusion. Screening, data extraction and quality assessment were performed in duplicate.

Main outcome measures: The main outcome was the effectiveness of different treatments for female sexual dysfunction symptoms during pregnancy. A secondary outcome was safety of proposed treatments.

Results: One thousand one hundred thirty-seven citations were retrieved, four were selected for full-text reading, and two randomized trials (159 participants) were included. One study reported a significant increase in mean total sexual function scores of 44 women in the 1st trimester of pregnancy, 4 weeks after an educative intervention (mean difference 7.0, 95% confidence interval 4.1-9.9). The second study did not detect significant differences in the sexual behavior of 71 women in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy, 12 weeks after an educational session. Results could not be pooled due to heterogeneity between the studies.

Conclusions: Based on the findings of this review, it is not possible to make any clear and definitive recommendation regarding the effectiveness and safety of interventions used for the treatment of sexual dysfunction symptoms in pregnancy. Ribeiro MC, Nakamura MU, Torloni MR, Scanavino MT, do Amaral MLS, Puga MES, and Mattar R. Treatments of female sexual dysfunction symptoms during pregnancy: A systematic review of the literature. Sex Med Rev 2014;2:1-9.

Keywords: Female Sexual Function; Pregnancy; Pregnant Women; Sexual Dysfunctions; Sexuality; Systematic Review; Treatment.