title: Sexual and relational satisfaction in couples where the woman has polycystic ovary syndrome: a dyadic analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  How are objective characteristics of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and PCOS-related concerns associated with the sexual and relational satisfaction of PCOS women and their partners?
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both objective PCOS characteristics (parity, women's body mass index (BMI) and current unfulfilled wish to conceive) and PCOS-related concerns (women's infertility-related and acne-related concerns) were associated with sexual and/or relational satisfaction, although some associations differed for PCOS women and their partners.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  There is some evidence indicating an association between objective PCOS characteristics and sexual satisfaction of PCOS women, but this evidence is conflicting, scarce, and often validated questionnaires have not been used to evaluate sexual satisfaction. No evidence is available about the association of: (i) PCOS with relational satisfaction; (ii) PCOS-related concerns with sexual and relational satisfaction; and (iii) PCOS with sexual and relational satisfaction as experienced by partners of PCOS women.
  
  
  METHODS
  We set up a cross-sectional study from April 2007 until April 2009, including 31 overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m(2)) women with PCOS and at a reproductive age as well as their partners with whom they had a committed intimate relationship at the time of recruitment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was performed at the fertility center of the Ghent University Hospital. Objective PCOS characteristics were registered and PCOS-related concerns were evaluated by the PCOS Questionnaire. Sexual (SS) and relational (RS) satisfaction were measured by the Maudsley Marital Questionnaire (MMQ). Dyadic statistical analyses were performed using linear mixed models (α < 0.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A lower parity tended to be associated with higher levels of sexual and relational satisfaction, with a significantly stronger association in PCOS women than in their partners (p(SS) = 0.015 and p(RS) = 0.009). A higher BMI tended to be associated with lower and higher satisfaction levels (sexual and relational) in PCOS women and their partners, respectively, with a significantly stronger association in the partners (p(SS) = 0.029 and p(RS) = 0.021). The presence of a current unfulfilled wish to conceive and a higher level of infertility-related concerns was significantly more strongly associated with a higher level of relational satisfaction for PCOS women than for their partners (p(RS) = 0.021 and p(RS) = 0.011, respectively). Higher levels of acne-related concern were significantly associated with lower levels of sexual satisfaction in both PCOS women (p(SS) = 0.025) and their partners (p(SS) = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The fact that this study was performed in a sample of PCOS women who were all overweight and the small sample size are important limitations. Data were partially missing in some couples but this limitation was dealt with by using linear mixed models.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest a differential association of PCOS with sexual and relational satisfaction between PCOS women and their partners. This should be kept in mind during the psychological guidance of couples dealing with PCOS.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  V.D.F. is holder of a Special PhD Fellowship of the Flemish Foundation for Scientific Research (FWO-Vlaanderen). P.D.S. is holder of a fundamental clinical research mandate of the Flemish Foundation for Scientific Research (FWO-Vlaanderen). This research also received financial support by Merck Serono and Artevelde University College Ghent. There are no competing interests.
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium veerle.defrene@ugent.be.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Frène
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Verhofstadt
authors.affiliation: Department of Data Analysis, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 1, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Loeys
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stuyver
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buysse
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Sutter
mesh_terms: D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D020073:Gravidity; D006628:Hirsutism / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D010298:Parity; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: couple; polycystic ovary syndrome; relationship; satisfaction; sexuality