title: [Comparison of quality of life in women with sexual dysfunction].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between sexual function and quality of life in pregnant women living in two cities of Northeastern Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample consisted of 207 pregnant women. The data were collected through a questionnaire containing questions about socio-demographic, gynecological and obstetrical data, body and sexual knowledge. Quality of life was assessed by applying the Ferrans & Powers Quality of Life Index (QLI Ferrans and Power). Sexual function was assessed using the Female Sexual Function Index (IFSF). Data were statistically analyzed using the Shapiro-Wilk, Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The pregnant women studied had a median age of 30 years (quartile 26-33 years) and were approximately at the 26th gestational week. A significant decrease in the monthly frequency of sexual relations of the couple was observed, with a median of 12 to 4 times per month (Z=-10.56; p<0.001). Sexual dysfunction was detected in 35.7% of the pregnant women studied, whose quality of life was lower when compared to women with unchanged sexual function (Z=-2.9; p=0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study show that sexual dysfunction negatively affected the quality of life of pregnant women, and this should be an important aspect for review during prenatal consultations.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ingrid Fonsêca Damasceno
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Bezerra
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vanessa Patrícia Soares
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: de Sousa
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lenize Costa
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Elizabel de Souza Ramalho
authors.initials: Ede S
authors.lastname: Viana
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D011788:Quality of Life; D057566:Self Report; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology