Sexual desire in women with fibromyalgia: beyond the pain?

BACKGROUND

Women with fibromyalgia often experience sexual dysfunction, particularly reduced sexual desire, but few studies have used specific measures, such as the Sexual Desire Inventory, to assess this, and the predictors of sexual desire in these women remain unclear.

AIM: This study aimed to analyze sexual desire in Spanish women diagnosed with fibromyalgia (fibromyalgia group, FG) and in a control group (CG) of healthy women and to examine the predictors (age, symptoms duration, time since diagnosis, severity of fibromyalgia, antidepressant drugs, depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms) of sexual desire in the FG.

METHODS

The sample consisted of 81 women divided into 2 groups FG (n = 46) and CG (n = 35). The average age was 47.23 years (SD = 9.22) for the FG and 46.14 years (SD = 9.52) for the CG.

OUTCOMES: The main outcome measures were sexual desire, as assessed through the Sexual Desire Inventory, severity of fibromyalgia (Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire) and anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale).

RESULTS

Women in the FG had lower sexual desire than those in the CG. Age, time since diagnosis, and depression were associated with different dimensions of sexual desire. In contrast, fibromyalgia severity, anxiety, and months using SSRIs were not linked to any dimensions of sexual desire. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that age, time since of FM diagnosis, and depression predicted global sexual desire, accounting for 30% of its variance.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Assessing sexual desire and addressing depressive symptoms early in women with fibromyalgia is essential for improving their sexual health.

STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: This is the first study to assess different dimensions of sexual desire, including sexual desire for an attractive person, while simultaneously examining key factors associated with sexual desire in women with fibromyalgia. However, the sample size is relatively small, and the study lacks a longitudinal design.

CONCLUSION

Women with FG have lower sexual desire than healthy women, primarily due to age, time since diagnosis, and depressive symptoms.