Sexual satisfaction in females with premenstrual symptoms.
BACKGROUND
The impact of premenstrual symptoms, such as the premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and the premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), on sexual satisfaction, sexual distress, and sexual behaviors has not yet been established.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the correlates and risk factors of sexual satisfaction and to evaluate sexual behaviors among Polish women with premenstrual symptoms.


METHODS
2,500 females, aged 18 to 45 years, from the Upper Silesian region of Poland were eligible for the questionnaire-based, prospective population study. All the inclusion criteria were met by 1,540 women who constituted the final study group. The participants were further divided into two subgroups: PMS+ (749 females) and PMS- (791 healthy subjects). Two additional subgroups were created: PMDD+ encompassing 32 subjects diagnosed with PMDD, and PMDD- comprising 32 healthy women, matched to the PMDD+ females for age, marital status, education level, employment status, place of living, and body mass index. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the influence of PMS on sexual satisfaction and adjust for potential confounders.


METHODS
To evaluate risk factors for sexual dissatisfaction in a population of Polish females of reproductive age, diagnosed with PMS and PMDD.


RESULTS
Women from the PMS+ group were less sexually satisfied than PMS- (77.73% vs. 88.66%, P=0.001) and reported more sexual distress (28.65% vs. 15.24%, P=0.001). There were no significant differences in sexual satisfaction between PMDD- and PMDD+. Sexual satisfaction correlated positively with a higher frequency of sexual intercourses and a higher level of education. The presence of PMS correlated negatively with sexual satisfaction, even after adjusting for potential confounders in the multivariate logistic regression model (odds ratio=0.48; confidence interval: 0.26-0.89; P=0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of PMS is a risk factor for sexual dissatisfaction in Polish women of reproductive age.
Nowosielski
Krzysztof
K
Department of Women' Disease Control and Prevention, The Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland. krzysnowosilcow@yahoo.com
Drosdzol
Agnieszka
A
Skrzypulec
Violetta
V
Plinta
Ryszard
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011044:Poland; D011293:Premenstrual Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult