title: What is worse for your sex life: starving, being depressed, or a new baby?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the current sexual functioning of women in an intimate relationship with anorexia nervosa, with major depression, and in the postpartum period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Complete data were available for 76 women who reported being in an intimate relationship (anorexia = 10; depression = 24; postpartum = 42). Sexual functioning was assessed using the Social Adjustment Scale (Weissman and Bothwell, Arch Gen Psychiatry, 33, 1111-1115, 1976).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences were found among groups for the frequency of sex (p =.03) and problems with sex (p < .001), but not for enjoyment of sex (p = .55). In the previous 2 weeks, women with anorexia nervosa or major depression were more likely to have had sex than postpartum women, but were also more likely to have had sexual problems than postpartum women. Most women with anorexia nervosa, women with major depression, and postpartum women reported enjoying sex.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women with anorexia nervosa and women with major depression who are in an intimate relationship report a similar profile of current sexual functioning that is different from postpartum women both in the frequency of sexual encounters and in reported problems with sex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand. frances.carter@chmeds.ac.nz
authors.forename: Frances A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Janet D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Suzanne E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Luty
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: Virginia V W
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: McIntosh
authors.forename: Andrea F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Bartram
authors.forename: Roger T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Mulder
authors.forename: Janice M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: McKenzie
authors.forename: Cynthia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bulik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology*; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000523:psychology*; D019529:Sexuality / Q000523:psychology*