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INTRODUCTION

The taboo surrounding sexuality in Benin silences most women experiencing significant difficulties in their sexual and intimate relationships.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the profile of sexual dysfunctions and sexual dissatisfaction within couples among women in Benin.

METHODS

This descriptive cross-sectional study with an analytical component was conducted from September to December 2022 and included 1,531 women of childbearing age in the municipalities of Djougou, Parakou, Abomey-Calavi, and Porto-Novo in Benin. The Female Sexual Function Index and an adapted version of the Sexual Satisfaction Index were used to assess women’s sexual dysfunction and their sexual satisfaction within their relationships, respectively. A Chi-square test with a 5% significance level was applied to compare results across the selected municipalities.

RESULTS

The exploration of the sexual function among the women surveyed revealed dysfunctions in several domains: pain (99.93%), arousal (83.31%), orgasm (73.02%), satisfaction (69.63%), and desire (66.69%). Overall, 62.18% of women were dissatisfied with their personal sexuality. This dissatisfaction was more prevalent among women surveyed in Parakou (76.33%) than in Porto-Novo (54.70%) (p-value=0.00). Sexual dissatisfaction within couples affected 20.31% of the women surveyed. It was more common among women in the municipality of Abomey-Calavi (37.10%) and less common among those in Parakou (3.99%) (p-value=0.00).

CONCLUSION

Sexual dysfunction was highly prevalent in the study population. However, these sexual difficulties do not necessarily lead to sexual dissatisfaction among women.