Female Sexual Dysfunction and its Associated Risk Factors: An Epidemiological Study in the North-East of Iran

Background aim: Female sexual function (FSD) is a multifactorial phenomenon. Sexual function is influenced by different personal and environmental factors. This study aimed to evaluate FSD and its contributing factors using female sexual function index (FSFI). Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 264 women referring to 11 health centers of Sabzevar, Iran during October 2012 to January 2013 using a convenience sampling. Data were collected using a validated Persian version of FSFI containing six domains of sexual desire, lubrication, sexual arousal, sexual satisfaction, orgasm and sexual pain as well as demographic questionnaire. A total score of 28 was defined as sexual dysfunction, and higher scores were described as satisfactory sexual function Data analysis was performed in SPSS V.20, using Chi-square, general linear model and binary logistic regression. Results: The mean age of women enrolled in this study was 32.2±10.27 years . Considering the cut-off point of sexual dysfunction at 28, 62.1% of the study population had FSD. Highest rate of FSD was estimated at 49.2%, Age was associated with a significant decline in total scores of FSFI (P=0.042). Moreover, a significant correlation was observed between duration of marriage and total scores of FSFI (P 0.001). Conclusion: According to the results, sexual desire was the most frequent contributing factor among FSD domains, and the majority of women ageing 21-26 years had at least one of the risk factors of FSD. In addition, our findings indicated that despite conventional beliefs, issues such as educational level has no significant effect on FSD in young women.