Female sexual and hormonal status in patients with bronchial asthma: relationship with respiratory function tests and psychological and somatic status.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the relationship among the sexual, hormonal, physical, and psychological status of women with bronchial asthma (BA) compared with that of healthy volunteers.


METHODS
Thirty-eight women with BA were enrolled in the study. The patients were asked to complete the Female Sexual Function Index, General Health Questionnaire, and Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36-item Health Survey (SF-36). Using the answers on the SF-36, the mental and physical component summary scores were calculated. A total of 20 healthy women were enrolled in the study as the control group. The same questionnaires were given to this group as well. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test and Pearson correlation tests.


RESULTS
At the end of the study, statistically significant differences were observed for all questionnaire scores (P <0.05). The most common female sexual dysfunction was diminished arousal (n = 30, 78.9%) in women with BA. In the correlation analysis, the total Female Sexual Function Index score had a statistically significant and positive correlation with the mental component summary score (r = 0.503, P = 0.001) and a negative correlation with the General Health Questionnaire score (r = -0.380, P = 0.020).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of our study have shown that BA, as a chronic medical condition, can be a cause of female sexual dysfunction with mental and psychiatric mechanisms.
Başar
M Murad
MM
Department of Urology, University of Kirikkale Faculty of Medicine, Kirikkale, Turkey. mmbasar@hotmail.com
Ekici
Aydanur
A
Bulcun
Emel
E
Tuğlu
Devrim
D
Ekici
Mehmet S
MS
Batislam
Ertan
E
D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate