Sexual Function and Sexual Distress in Women with Interstitial Cystitis: A Case-Control Study

Objectives To evaluate female sexual dysfunction (FSD) in women with interstitial cystitis (IC) versus a control group. Specific areas of FSD in women with IC have not been reported. Methods A mailed survey was sent to 5000 randomly selected women from the United States (controls) and 407 women with IC from a large referral center (cases). The Female Sexual Distress Scale and questions about sexual function, desire, orgasm, and pain were included. The Student t test was used to compare the mean values, and the chi-square test was used to compare the proportions between the cases and controls. Results During adolescence (the start of menstruation through age 18), having had intercourse, levels of sexual desire, and orgasm frequency did not differ significantly between the cases and controls. However, a significantly greater proportion of cases reported fear of pain ( P = 0.018) and pain with intercourse ( P = 0.001). In adulthood, a significantly greater proportion of cases reported having pelvic pain, fear of pain during intercourse, and dyspareunia ( P