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Effects of etonogestrel implant on quality of life, sexual function, and pelvic pain in women suffering from endometriosis: results from a multicenter, prospective, observational study

  • General Gynecology
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

Progestins are successfully employed as treatment for endometriosis. Our study evaluates the effects of the etonogestrel (ENG) implant on pelvic pain, quality of life, and sexual function in women requiring long-term reversible contraception and presenting ovarian cysts of probable endometriotic origin.

Methods

We enrolled 25 women asking for contraception with the ENG implant and presenting a cyst with the ultrasound features of an endometrioma and pain symptoms. Patients were interviewed on pain symptoms (dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, dyschezia, and dysuria) using a VAS score (0–10), on quality of life (QoL) using the Short Form-36 questionnaire, and on sexual activity using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire before inserting the implant (T0) and after 6 (T1) and 12 months (T2).

Results

We found a significant decrease in dysmenorrhea and dyspareunia VAS scores comparing baseline scores to 6 and 12 months. After 12 months, the bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, and mental health domains of the QoL score were significantly improved. The total FSFI score results increased in comparison with baseline both at 6 and 12 months. In particular, we highlighted a significant improvement in desire, satisfaction, and pain domains already at 6 months; the arousal domain improved only after 12 months. Finally, mean diameters of endometrioma-like cysts were not changed after 12 months of treatment.

Conclusions

Etonogestrel implants seem to be able to reduce pelvic pain, improve sexual function, and quality of life in patients with ovarian cysts suspected of endometriotic origin.

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Funding

This study was not supported by any grant/fund.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Via Sergio Pansini, Naples, Italy

    Anna Sansone & Pierluigi Giampaolino

  2. Department of Neurosciences and Reproductive Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Sergio Pansini, Naples, Italy

    Nicoletta De Rosa

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Medicine and Surgery of Salerno, Via Allende, Salerno, Italy

    Maurizio Guida

  4. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, “Filippo Del Ponte” Hospital, University of Insubria, Piazza Biroldi 1, 21100, Varese, Italy

    Antonio Simone Laganà

  5. Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine Unit of Obstetrics, Gynecology University of Catanzaro “Magna Graecia”, Viale Europa, Catanzaro, Italy

    Costantino Di Carlo

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  1. Anna Sansone
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  2. Nicoletta De Rosa
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Contributions

AS: manuscript writing. NR: data collection. PG: manuscript writing. MG: data collection. ASL: manuscript editing. CC: project supervision.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pierluigi Giampaolino.

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Conflict of interest

The authors have no proprietary, financial, professional, or other personal interest of any nature in any product, service, or company.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Sansone, A., De Rosa, N., Giampaolino, P. et al. Effects of etonogestrel implant on quality of life, sexual function, and pelvic pain in women suffering from endometriosis: results from a multicenter, prospective, observational study. Arch Gynecol Obstet 298, 731–736 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-018-4851-0

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