title: Women with greater pelvic floor muscle strength have better sexual function.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relation between pelvic floor muscle strength and sexual function among women with higher and lower pelvic floor muscle strength.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was performed among employees and students of the University.
  
  
  METHODS
  Urogynecology department, Federal University of Pampa, Brazil, carried out between January and July of 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty women, aged 20-28 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-nine women were screened and nine were excluded. Baseline information of the participants was obtained. The Female Sexual Function Index questionnaire was applied and pelvic floor muscle strength was randomly measured by transvaginal palpation according to the Ortiz scale, and by perineometry. Women were allocated into two groups according to muscle strength.
  
  
  METHODS
  Index of sexual function and pelvic floor muscle strength
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women with stronger pelvic floor muscles scored higher in the following domains: desire, excitement, orgasm and general score of the questionnaire (4.9 ± 0.73 vs. 3.8 ± 0.58; 5.0 ± 0.35 vs. 4.3 ± 0.82; 5.8 ± 0.21 vs. 4.0 ± 1.00 and 32.4 ± 0.77 vs. 27.6 ± 3.29, p < 0.001). There was a moderate correlation between pelvic floor muscle pressure and both sexual satisfaction (r = 0.47, p = 0.03) and lubrication (r = -0.69, p = 0.001) as well as the manual evaluation of pelvic floor muscle strength, graded by the Ortiz and perineometry, which were interrelated (r = 0.65, p = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that women with stronger pelvic floor muscles have better sexual function.
authors.affiliation: Physiotherapy Department, Federal University of Pampa, Uruguaiana, Brazil.
authors.forename: Caroline S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: Fernanda V
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Antonio A M
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Liana B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Gomide
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D012634:Bodily Secretions / Q000502:physiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008365:Manometry; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D053580:Muscle Strength; D009948:Orgasm; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000502:physiology*; D019529:Sexuality / Q000502:physiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Muscle strength; pelvic floor muscles; sexual function; sexuality; women's health issues