Influence of pelvic floor disorders on sexuality in women

Objective To determine the association between different pelvic floor disorders and the presence of sexual dysfunction in women. Method An observational study of non‐pregnant women was carried out in Spain in 2021 and 2022. To assess the presence of pelvic floor problems, the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI‐20) was used, consisting of the subscales Pelvic Organ Prolapse Distress Inventory‐6 (POPDI‐6; prolapse symptoms), Colorectal‐Anal Distress Inventory (CRADI‐8; colorectal symptoms), and Urinary Distress Inventory‐6 (UDI‐6; urinary symptoms). The validated tool, Female Sexual Function (FSF), was used to evaluate female sexual function. Results In total, 1008 women participated. Of these, 288 (28.6%) had some type of sexual dysfunction. Regarding symptoms, 52 (5.2%) stated that they do not reach orgasm and 172 (17.1%) said they had never or occasionally felt sexual desire in the last month. Women with sexual dysfunctions had higher mean scores on the POPDI‐6, CRADI‐8, and UDI‐6 subscales than those who did not have sexual dysfunction (P ≤ 0.005). Risk factors identified included being postmenopausal, with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 2.98 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.12–4.18), and a greater impact of the symptoms of pelvic floor problems as assessed by the PFDI‐20 scale, in such a way that for each point increase the probability of sexual dysfunction increases with an aOR of 1.008 (95% CI 1.005–1.011). Conclusion Women with pelvic floor disorders and postmenopausal women present sexual dysfunction more frequently. Synopsis The high prevalence of sexual dysfunction in women associated with pelvic floor disorders is an important public health problem.