Sexual Dysfunction Among Thai Women with Urinary Incontinence in a Tertiary Care Hospital.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Sexual dysfunction is a common yet often underrecognized concern among women with urinary incontinence (UI), a distressing condition that adversely affects quality of life and sexual well-being. While global data link UI with sexual dysfunction, evidence among Thai women remains scarce. This study aimed to determine its prevalence and associated factors in this population.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital between February 2024 and June 2025. Sexually active women aged ≥20 years with clinically diagnosed UI were enrolled. Participants completed self-administered questionnaires assessing demographics, UI characteristics (Urinary Distress Inventory-6 [UDI-6] and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form [ICIQ-UI SF]), and sexual function (Thai version of the Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire-IUGA Revised [PISQ-IR]).

RESULTS

Of 230 women recruited, 174 sexually active participants were analyzed (mean age 50.05 ± 8.31 years). Mixed UI was most common (78.16%), and moderate UI severity predominated (55.75%). The overall prevalence of sexual dysfunction was 37.93%. Women with sexual dysfunction were significantly older than those without (52.02 ± 7.07 vs. 48.9 ± 8.8 years; p = 0.016). Although UI type or severity was not independently associated with sexual dysfunction, mixed and severe UI were linked to lower scores in condition-specific, global quality, and condition-impact domains.

CONCLUSION

Approximately one-third of sexually active Thai women with urinary incontinence experience sexual dysfunction. Although incontinence type and severity were not associated with overall dysfunction, mixed and severe incontinence affected specific sexual function domains.