Pelvic floor disorders and impact on sexual function: a cross-sectional study among non-sexually active and sexually active women.

Background: Pelvic floor disorders are common and associated with impaired sexual function in women.

Aim: To assess women with pelvic floor disorders and describe factors associated with not being sexually active and those associated with sexual function in sexually active women.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted that included nonpregnant women with symptoms of pelvic floor disorders who were referred to the urogynecologic and surgical outpatient clinic at 2 Norwegian university hospitals: St Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, and the University Hospital of Northern Norway, Tromsø. Women answered a questionnaire anonymously.

Outcomes: Pelvic Organ Prolapse Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire-IUGA Revised.

Results: Of 157 respondents, 111 (71%) reported being sexually active (with or without a partner), and 46 (29%) reported not being sexually active. As compared with sexually active women, not sexually active women were older (mean ± SD, 60.2 ± 13.3 vs 51 ± 12.1 years; P < .001), more were menopausal (78% vs 47%, P = .001), and more had symptom debut <1 year (31% vs 9%, P < .001). They reported more distress related to pelvic floor disorders, especially pelvic organ prolapse. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, menopausal women and women with symptom debut <1 year were 4 times more likely to be not sexually active than premenopausal women (odds ratio, 4.0; 95% CI, 1.7-9.2) and women with symptom debut ≥1 year (odds ratio, 4.0; 95% CI, 1.5-10.7). In sexually active women, colorectal-anal distress was negatively associated with 5 of 6 domains of sexual function: arousal/orgasm (ß = -0.36; 95% CI, -0.02 to -0.005), partner related (ß = -0.28; 95% CI, -0.01 to -0.002), condition specific (ß = -0.39; 95% CI, -0.002 to -0.009), global quality (ß = -0.23; 95% CI, -0.02 to -0.002), and condition impact (ß = -0.34; 95% CI, -0.02 to -0.006).

Clinical implications: Health care professionals should discuss sexual function in patients with pelvic floor disorders, especially menopausal women and women with colorectal-anal symptoms.

Strengths and limitations: The study used condition-specific measures and recruited women from 2 university hospitals with wide range of age. Limitations include the small sample size and wide confidence intervals. The number of women who considered themselves not sexually active was low, and item nonresponse levels among these women where somewhat high. Of 625 eligible women, 200 (32%) answered the questionnaire. Sexual health and sexual function are still surrounded with taboo, and some women were probably not comfortable answering the questions.

Conclusion: Menopausal women and women with recent onset of symptoms of pelvic floor disorders are more likely to be sexually inactive, and colorectal-anal symptoms have the most negative impact on sexual function in sexually active women.