title: Assessing sexual function and dyspareunia with the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) in women with vulvodynia.
abstract: Using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI; Rosen et al., 2000), we assessed forty-two women with vulvodynia. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach's alphas = 0.90-0.97) for all scales. We compared scale scores to published healthy and patient sample data and found very large effect sizes (1.15-2.83), which indicated that women with vulvodynia reported significantly worse overall sexual function than women without sexual dysfunction and greater pain with sexual intercourse than women with female sexual arousal disorder. Results highlight difficulties experienced across all domains of sexual function, particularly with regard to dyspareunia, for women with vulvodynia. Findings also support the internal consistency and discriminant validity of the FSFI.
authors.affiliation: Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8098, USA. robin.masheb@yale.edu
authors.forename: Robin M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Masheb
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lozano-Blanco
authors.forename: Ernest I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Kohorn
authors.forename: Mary Jane
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Minkin
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Kerns
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003075:Coitus; D004414:Dyspareunia / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014844:Vulva / Q000294:innervation; D014845:Vulvar Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D016387:Women's Health