title: Sexual function in females with severe cervical spinal cord injuries: a controlled study with the Female Sexual Function Index.
abstract: The objective of this study was to identify the sexual adjustment of females with severe cervical spinal cord injuries (SCI) using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). The 19-item questionnaire of the FSFI concerns sexual function and satisfaction in sex life. This study, conducted by the Orthopaedic and Psychiatry Departments of Patras University, used a sample of a series of 39 consecutive female patients with severe traumatic SCI. We compared these female patients with an age-economic-educational level- and marital status-matched control group of the general population. Sexual activity was lower among females with SCI, but the desire, the emotional quality of sex life and overall sexual satisfaction did not differ from the controls. These results demonstrate that sexual life in females with SCI remains almost unaffected.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University Hospital of Patras, Greece. orthpatras@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Charalambos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Matzaroglou
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Assimakopoulos
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Panagiotopoulos
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kasimatis
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dimakopoulos
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lambiris
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*