title: Effect of Stress Urinary Incontinence on the Sexual Function of Couples and the Quality of Life of Patients.
abstract: Studies of the effects of stress urinary incontinence on the sexual function of couples are scarce. We prospectively evaluated couple sexual function and the relationship between sexual function and quality of life. We also compared quality of life in females with vs without stress urinary incontinence.
  
  
  
  Sexually active females at least 21 years old with or without stress urinary incontinence and their partners were recruited for study. To assess sexual function the couples completed GRISS (Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction) and a 1-item question on overall sexual experience, "Over the past 4 weeks, how satisfied have you been with your overall sexual life?" Additionally, females completed ICIQ-LUTSqol (International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Quality of Life) to assess quality of life.
  
  
  
  For sexual function assessment 66 of 134 couples with (49.3%) and 95 of 176 without (54.0%) stress urinary incontinence were recruited. Females with stress urinary incontinence had lower overall sexual function, lower frequency of sexual intercourse, less satisfaction (each p <0.001) and higher avoidance behavior (p = 0.026). Partners of females with stress urinary incontinence had more problems with erectile dysfunction (p = 0.027), less satisfaction (p = 0.006) and lower frequency of sexual intercourse (p = 0.001) but no difference in overall GRISS score (p = 0.093). Couples with stress urinary incontinence had poorer overall sexual experience (p <0.05). Females with stress urinary incontinence had poorer quality of life than those without stress urinary incontinence (120 of 134, response rate 89.6% vs 145 of 176, response rate 82.4%, p <0.001). Sexual function and quality of life did not significantly correlate (r = 0.001, p = 0.997).
  
  
  
  Stress urinary incontinence in females is negatively associated not only with female quality of life and sexual function but also with partner sexual function.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia. Electronic address: renly_lim@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Renly
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Island Hospital, Penang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Men Long
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Liong
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Lam Wah Ee Hospital, Penang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Wing Seng
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Leong
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Nurzalina Abdul Karim
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Kah Hay
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Yuen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: quality of life; questionnaires; sexual partners; urinary bladder; urinary incontinence, stress