[Female sexual function and related factors].

OBJECTIVES

To appraise female sexual function and to describe the factors that most commonly accompany dysfunction.

DESIGN

Transversal, descriptive study.

SETTING

Primary care.

PARTICIPANTS

Two-hundred and twenty-three women from 18 to 76 seen at an urban health centre between November 2004 and February 2005 and who wanted to take part in the study.

MAIN MEASUREMENTS: These were collected in an anonymous questionnaire structured in 5 sections with 53 items. The questionnaire comprised social and economic, cultural and life-style variables; female sexual function (FSF); and perception of own state of health (SF-12). A binary logistical regression analysis was run.

RESULTS

Female sexuality reaches its maximum expression at 30-35 years (FSF=30.0, 95% CI, 28.3-31.6). Risk factors for sexual dysfunction were: age over 44 and religion (OR, 6.5; 95% CI, 2.8-15); physical component on the SF-12 below 37 (OR, 3; 95% CI, 1.3-7.2); mental component on the SF-12 below 31 (OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.2-7.8). Not having a stable partner was a risk factor for arousal (OR, 9.6; 95% CI, 2.8-24.0); for lubrication (OR, 9.3; 95% CI, 4.0-21.5); for orgasm (OR, 8.8; 95% CI, 3.1-24.8); and for dyspareunia (OR, 8.9; 95% CI, 3.9-20.5). It was not a risk factor for desire or satisfaction with sexual life.

CONCLUSIONS

The profile of sexual dysfunction consisted of a woman aged over 44 without a stable partner, who practised religion, was unemployed and had perception of low quality of life.