Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Association between fibromyalgia and sexual dysfunction in women

  • Review Article
  • Published:
Clinical Rheumatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The objective of the study was to review the association between fibromyalgia (FM) and sexual dysfunction in women and possible mechanisms of such association. PubMed, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases (1950–2008) were searched for the key words “fibromyalgia”, “chronic pain”, “sexual dysfunction”, “female”, “sexuality”, “depression”, and “quality of life”. All relevant articles in English and secondary references were reviewed. All reviewed studies showed that FM is associated with sexual dysfunction in women. The major findings were as follows: decreased sexual desire and arousal, decreased experience of orgasm, and increased pain with intercourse. FM, sexual dysfunction, and depression may be interrelated with the depressive mood responsible for desire and arousal problems. On the other hand, in FM patients, the threshold at which sensory input becomes painful is lower than normal that can explain pain on intercourse. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the casual relationship and mechanism of association between FM and sexual dysfunction in women.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Wolfe F, Smythe HA, Yunus MB, Bennett RM, Bombardier C, Goldenberg DL, Tugwell P, Campbell SM, Abeles M, Clark P et al (1990) The American College of Rheumatology 1990 criteria for the classification of fibromyalgia. Report of the Multicenter Criteria Committee. Arthritis Rheum 33:160–172

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Wolfe F, Anderson J, Harkness D, Bennett RM, Caro XJ, Goldenberg DL, Russell IJ, Yunus MB (1997) Work and disability status of persons with fibromyalgia. J Rheumatol 24:1171–1178

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Wolfe F, Ross K, Anderson J, Russell IJ, Hebert L (1995) The prevalence and characteristics of fibromyalgia in the general population. Arthritis Rheum 38:19–28

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. White KP, Speechley M, Harth M, Ostbye T (1999) The London Fibromyalgia Epidemiology Study: comparing the demographic and clinical characteristics in 100 random community cases of fibromyalgia versus controls. J Rheumatol 26:1577–1585

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Tikiz C, Muezzinoglu T, Pirildar T, Taskn EO, Frat A, Tuzun C (2005) Sexual dysfunction in female subjects with fibromyalgia. J Urol 174:620–623

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Aydin G, Basar MM, Keles I, Ergun G, Orkun S, Batislam E (2006) Relationship between sexual dysfunction and psychiatric status in premenopausal women with fibromyalgia. Urology 67:156–161

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Kool MB, Woertman L, Prins MA, Van Middendorp H, Geenen R (2006) Low relationship satisfaction and high partner involvement predict sexual problems of women with fibromyalgia. J Sex Marital Ther 32:409–423

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Orellana C, Casado E, Masip M, Galisteo C, Gratacos J, Larrosa M (2008) Sexual dysfunction in fibromyalgia patients. Clin Exp Rheumatol 26:663–666

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Prins MA, Woertman L, Kool MB, Geenen R (2006) Sexual functioning of women with fibromyalgia. Clin Exp Rheumatol 24:555–561

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Ryan S, Hill J, Thwaites C, Dawes P (2008) Assessing the effect of fibromyalgia on patients’ sexual activity. Nurs Stand 23:35–41

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Shaver JL, Wilbur J, Robinson FP, Wang E, Buntin MS (2006) Women’s health issues with fibromyalgia syndrome. J Womens Health (Larchmt) 15:1035–1045

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. De Costa ED, Kneubil MC, Leao WC, The KB (2004) Assessment of sexual satisfaction in fibromyalgia patients. Einstein 2:177–181

    Google Scholar 

  13. Rosen R, Brown C, Heiman J, Leiblum S, Meston C, Shabsigh R, Ferguson D, D’Agostino R Jr (2000) The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI): a multidimensional self-report instrument for the assessment of female sexual function. J Sex Marital Ther 26:191–208

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Monga TN, Tan G, Ostermann HJ, Monga U, Grabois M (1998) Sexuality and sexual adjustment of patients with chronic pain. Disabil Rehabil 20:317–329

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Ambler N, Williams AC, Hill P, Gunary R, Cratchley G (2001) Sexual difficulties of chronic pain patients. Clin J Pain 17:138–145

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Finestone HM, Stenn P, Davies F, Stalker C, Fry R, Koumanis J (2000) Chronic pain and health care utilization in women with a history of childhood sexual abuse. Child Abuse Negl 24:547–556

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Goldberg RT, Pachas WN, Keith D (1999) Relationship between traumatic events in childhood and chronic pain. Disabil Rehabil 21:23–30

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Alexander RW, Bradley LA, Alarcon GS, Triana-Alexander M, Aaron LA, Alberts KR, Martin MY, Stewart KE (1998) Sexual and physical abuse in women with fibromyalgia: association with outpatient health care utilization and pain medication usage. Arthritis Care Res 11:102–115

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Castro I, Barrantes F, Tuna M, Cabrera G, Garcia C, Recinos M, Espinoza LR, Garcia-Kutzbach A (2005) Prevalence of abuse in fibromyalgia and other rheumatic disorders at a specialized clinic in rheumatic diseases in Guatemala City. J Clin Rheumatol 11:140–145

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Hudson JI, Goldenberg DL, Pope HG Jr., Keck PE Jr., Schlesinger L (1992) Comorbidity of fibromyalgia with medical and psychiatric disorders. Am J Med 92:363–367

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Arnold LD, Bachmann GA, Rosen R, Kelly S, Rhoads GG (2006) Vulvodynia: characteristics and associations with comorbidities and quality of life. Obstet Gynecol 107:617–624

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Gordon AS, Panahian-Jand M, McComb F, Melegari C, Sharp S (2003) Characteristics of women with vulvar pain disorders: responses to a Web-based survey. J Sex Marital Ther 29(Suppl 1):45–58

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Bendtsen L, Norregaard J, Jensen R, Olesen J (1997) Evidence of qualitatively altered nociception in patients with fibromyalgia. Arthritis Rheum 40:98–102

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Stahl S, Briley M (2004) Understanding pain in depression. Hum Psychopharmacol 19(Suppl 1):S9–S13

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Disclosures

None

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Therapy, Recanati School for Community Health Professions, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel

    Leonid Kalichman

Authors
  1. Leonid Kalichman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Leonid Kalichman.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kalichman, L. Association between fibromyalgia and sexual dysfunction in women. Clin Rheumatol 28, 365–369 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-009-1093-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-009-1093-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation