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Sexual health and intimacy in women with and without Dyspareunia

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Abstract

Despite growing studies on dyspareunia, there is still disagreement on the relation between dyspareunia and sexual health, especially with intimacy. This study compares the sexual satisfaction, function, distress, and marital intimacy between dyspareunia sufferers (D) and Pain-free (P.F.) women. A cross-sectional study in premenopausal women with self-reported dyspareunia (n = 167) and P.F. control women (n = 231) was conducted by online survey and face-to-face sampling in Iran between December 2020 and May 2021. Data were collected using a demographic checklist, self-reported dyspareunia, the Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction (GMSEX), the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI-6), the Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised (FSDS-R), and the Marital Intimacy Scale (M.I.S.). In the D group, sexual satisfaction (P = 0.002) and sexual function (p < 0.001) were lower in all dimensions, whereas sexual distress (p < 0.001) was higher compared to the P.F. women. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in intimacy. Sexual pain was associated with younger age (OR = 0.84, P = 0.02), a lower education level (OR = 0.63, P = 0.01), more use medicines (OR = 31.46, P = 0.01), duration of pain (OR = 1.34, P = 0.01), and lower sexual satisfaction (OR = 0.95, P = 0.05). The only factor influencing intimacy was higher sexual satisfaction (OR = 0.59, p < 0.001). The study indicated that dyspareunia negatively impacted sexual satisfaction and function and caused sexual distress. However, it did not reduce intimacy. In this study, the only factor related to intimacy and the only modifiable factor related to sexual pain was sexual satisfaction. Cultural-based interventions for promoting sexual pleasure can lead to better coping with dyspareunia.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Tehran University of Medical Sciences (Grant No. 99- 2-100- 48775). The research team is very grateful to all women who played a key role in this study.

Funding

This work was supported by the Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

(Grant No. 99- 2-100- 48775). Farnaz Farnam has received research support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Reproductive Health Division, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Zahra Mohammadzadeh

  2. Reproductive Health Department, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Zohreh Khakbazan

  3. Oral and Dental Diseases Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

    Maryam Rad

  4. Department of Reproductive Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Farnaz Farnam

  5. Reproductive Health Department, Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran

    Farnaz Farnam

Authors
  1. Zahra Mohammadzadeh
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  2. Zohreh Khakbazan
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  3. Maryam Rad
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  4. Farnaz Farnam
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study’s conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by [Zahra Mohammadzadeh], [Zohre khakbazan], [Maryam rad] & [Farnaz Farnam]. The first draft of the manuscript was written by [Zahra Mohammadzade], and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Farnaz Farnam.

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The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Ethics approval

This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of Tehran University of Medical Sciences: I.R.TUMS. F.N.M.REC.1399.151. dated: 2020.12.22.

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

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Mohammadzadeh, Z., Khakbazan, Z., Rad, M. et al. Sexual health and intimacy in women with and without Dyspareunia. Sexuality & Culture 26, 2057–2069 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-022-09984-4

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