title: [Sexuality and eating disorders].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study is to explore the sexual functioning of an Eating Disorders (ED) sample composed by Anorexia Nervosa (AN), Bulimia Nervosa (BN) and Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  98 patients (AN: 23; BN: 14; EDNOS: 61) have been compared with 88 health subjects. All participants have filled in the following questionnaires: Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), Eating Disorders Examination (EDE-q), Binge Eating Scale (BES), Emotional Empathy Scale (EES). For the evaluation of the sexual activity Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) was applied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  67 patients (68.4%) and 80 healthy controls (90.9%) reported a sexual activity with a partner or masturbation in the four latest weeks. Only one healthy control (1.1%) reported masturbation and 79 (89.8%) controls showed sexual activity with a partner, on the contrary 11 patients (11.2) reported masturbation and 56 (57.1%) patients showed sexual activity with a partner. Moreover patients showed higher scores on every FSFI subscales. No significant differences were observed between AN, BN and BED in terms of FSFI scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women with ED show a lower sexual activity with a partner, a six-fold increase in the risk of sexual dysfunction and an higher frequency of masturbation as the only sexual activity when compared with healthy controls. The cognitive distraction produced by the discomfort to show own body during a sexual intercourse with the partner may explain our results.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Firenze.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mazzei
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Castellini
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Benni
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Godini
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lazzeretti
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pracucci
authors.forename: Gabriela Alina
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Talamba
authors.forename: Valdo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ricca
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Faravelli
mesh_terms: D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019529:Sexuality