title: Recent and lifelong sexual dysfunction in a female UK population sample: prevalence and risk factors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To date, no studies have tried to explore the prevalence and risk factors of recent and lifelong female sexual dysfunction (FSD) in the United Kingdom using validated questionnaires for the assessment of symptom severity and levels of associated sexual distress.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence and comorbidity of recent and lifelong FSD and to further identify potential psychosocial and behavioral risk factors in a nationally representative sample of UK women.
  
  
  METHODS
  One thousand four hundred eighty-nine unselected female twin individuals aged 18-85 years. Validated questionnaires, such as the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and the Female Sexual Distress Scale, were used for the assessment of symptom severity and degree of sexual distress.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prevalence and comorbidity of recent and lifelong FSD according to the FSFI cutoff points and the existence of sexual distress. Lifelong FSD refers to an individual's average sexual function ever since they have been sexually active. We further calculated odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence interval for FSD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that 5.8% of women reported any recent sexual dysfunction and 15.5% reported any lifelong sexual dysfunction. Hyposexual desire was the most prevalent recent and lifelong sexual complaint (21.4% and 17.3%, respectively). High intercorrelations were found for both recent and lifelong FSD (r=0.3-0.7). The most common independent, clinical predictor of recent and lifelong FSD diagnosis was relationship dissatisfaction (OR 1.2-4.5). Experience of abuse (OR 1.6-2.1), increased anxiety, and obsessive compulsive behavior were the most common predictors for lifelong FSD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study provides the first UK population-based assessment of recent and lifelong FSD using validated outcome measures and accounting for sexual distress. Our results indicate that FSD is common in the general population and is influenced by psychosocial factors with different pathoetiologies underlying recent and lifelong FSD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College, London, UK. andrea.burri@kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burri
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Spector
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011584:Psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult