Prevalence of and Factors Affecting Sexual Dysfunction in Women of Reproductive Age

Sexual dysfunction affects quality of life, and many social problems; therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of sexual dysfunction and some related demographic factors in women of reproductive age in Bushehr.

The present study is a cross-sectional study that was conducted online on 548 married women aged 15 to 49 living in Bushehr. Sampling was based on random stratification among all ten health centers of Bushehr city. Data were collected using a demographics checklist and the Female Sexual Function Index for assessing the participants’ sexual performance in six domains. Data analysis was done by SPSS software version 22 using Chi-square and logistic regression. The significance level for all tests was less than 0.05.

In this study 267 persons of 548 participants (48.7%) experienced sexual dysfunction. The results showed that 48.7% of women. Among the demographic variables, level of education (p<0.001), level of family income (p=0.014), dissatisfaction with the spouse (p=0.005), history of sexual dysfunction (p<0.001) and sexual function status (p<0.001) were the predictors of sexual dysfunction.

Prevalence of sexual dysfunction in married women in Bushehr is relatively high. Since sexual function status is a strong predictor of sexual dysfunction, it can be used to identify people with sexual dysfunction. The diagnosis and treatment of female sexual disorders should be facilitated in order to prevent such disorders. It is necessary that interventions be designed and implemented to improve sexual function in women who have disputes with their husbands or have an insufficient income.