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Disparate Relationship of Sexual Satisfaction, Self-Esteem, Anxiety, and Depression with Endocrine Profiles of Women With or Without PCOS

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Abstract

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are at increased risk of psychological distress including anxiety and depressive symptoms. However, less is known about sexual satisfaction and self-esteem as well as the relationship of these aspects of psychological function with clinical and hormonal profiles associated with PCOS. This cross-sectional study compared women with PCOS (N = 96) and healthy controls (N = 47). This study assessed sexual function (primary outcome), self-esteem, anxiety, and depression as well as evaluation of clinical, endocrine, and metabolic parameters. Overall, sexual satisfaction scores were comparable among women with and without PCOS. However, psychosexual function of women with PCOS exhibited distinguishing characteristics. The unconscious aspect of sexuality: frequency of erotic dreams, significantly correlated with free testosterone (ρ = 0.24, P = 0.03) and DHEAS (ρ = 0.31, P = 0.004) only in the PCOS group. In contrast, in women with PCOS, the frequency of masturbation did not correlate with endocrine profiles, but correlated with trait anxiety (ρ = 0.21, P = 0.049) and depression (ρ = 0.21, P = 0.05). Only one aspect of self-esteem (body appearance) was reduced in the PCOS group (P = 0.02) and was related to BMI and androgen. Women with PCOS had greater state anxiety (P = 0.02) and depression (P < 0.001); these scores correlated with BMI. However, anxiety and depression correlated with testosterone only in women without PCOS. The above findings indicate that PCOS is associated with a broad range of alterations of psychological function including psychosexual aspects; these alterations are in complex relationship with BMI and androgen levels.

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Funding

This research was supported by intramural funding from Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Infertility and Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecological Oncology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-535, Poznan, Poland

    Aleksandra Glowinska, Martyna Siakowska, Leszek Pawelczyk & Beata Banaszewska

  2. Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Reproductive Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0633, USA

    Antoni J Duleba

  3. Department of Social and Clinical Sexology, Faculty of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, Adam Mickiewicz University, Szamarzewskiego 89, 60-568, Poznań, Poland

    Monika Zielona-Jenek

Authors
  1. Aleksandra Glowinska
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  2. Antoni J Duleba
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  3. Monika Zielona-Jenek
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  4. Martyna Siakowska
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  5. Leszek Pawelczyk
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  6. Beata Banaszewska
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Correspondence to Antoni J Duleba.

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Approval of the study was obtained from the Institutional Review Board at the Poznan University of Medical Sciences (709/12).

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Aleksandra Glowinska and Antoni J Duleba are co-first authors.

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Glowinska, A., Duleba, A.J., Zielona-Jenek, M. et al. Disparate Relationship of Sexual Satisfaction, Self-Esteem, Anxiety, and Depression with Endocrine Profiles of Women With or Without PCOS. Reprod. Sci. 27, 432–442 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43032-019-00061-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43032-019-00061-0

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