Sexual dysfunction in fibromyalgia patients.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in female patients with fibromyalgia (FM), the impact of FM on sexual activity and the factors associated with sexual dysfunction in these patients.


METHODS
Thirty-one consecutive women with FM were enrolled; two groups of 20 aged-matched healthy women and 26 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were used as controls. Demographic features were recorded in all patients. A cross-sectional analysis of pain (100-mm VAS scale), anxiety and depression (as determined by the STAI and Beck Depression Inventory scales, respectively) was performed. Sexual function was assessed by the Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire (CSFQ).


RESULTS
FM and RA patients showed a significantly higher rate of sexual dysfunction compared to healthy controls. Sexual dysfunction was more frequent among FM patients (97%) than in RA patients (84%) but without statistical differences. A univariate analysis showed that age (p=0.0002), marital (p=0.036) and work status (p=0.048), pain intensity (p=0.007), level of anxiety (p=0.002), level of depression (p=0.0005), were significantly associated with sexual dysfunction in FM. However, only the intensity of depression was associated with the sexual dysfunction in patients with FM in the multivariate analysis (p=0.012).


CONCLUSIONS
Sexual function was very frequently and severely affected in patients with FM and this impairment appeared to be particularly associated with the degree of depression. The recognition of this dysfunction and its inclusion for the multidisciplinary management of FM may contribute to improve quality of life of these patients.
Orellana
C
C
Rheumatology Unit, Hospital de Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain. corellana@tauli.cat
Casado
E
E
Masip
M
M
Galisteo
C
C
Gratacós
J
J
Larrosa
M
M
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000150:complications*; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000150:complications*