The sexual function of women with epilepsy: a comparative study
Introduction Epilepsy is a neurological disease that interferes negatively with many areas of the patient’s life. Sexual dysfunction is a frequent comorbidity in epileptic patients. Quality of life is particularly affected in women, who are also culturally stigmatized because of their illness. Obj...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2022-06-01
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| Series: | European Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822007210/type/journal_article |
| Summary: | Introduction
Epilepsy is a neurological disease that interferes negatively with many areas of the patient’s life. Sexual dysfunction is a frequent comorbidity in epileptic patients. Quality of life is particularly affected in women, who are also culturally stigmatized because of their illness.
Objectives
To assess the sexual function of women with epilepsy compared to healthy women.
Methods
This was a case-control study of female patients with generalized epilepsy, carried out at the national institute of neurology in Tunisia in 2018. The controls were the patients’ companions in the department. They were matched by age with the cases. Sexual function was assessed by the female sexual function index (FSFI).
Results
We included 40 cases and 40 controls.Their averge age was 30.45years. In comparison to the controls,the women with epilepsy had less kids ( p=0.04) and more miscarriages (p=0.032). On the other hand, women with epilepsy presented more sexual dysfunctions (p=0. 03) and had a lower total score on the FSFI (p=0.015) as well as significantly lower scores in the domains “desire” (p=0.009), “orgasm” (p=0.026), “satisfaction” (p=0.001) and pain (p=0.015).
Conclusions
The findings of this study are consisting with the literature, the women with epilepsy in this survey had impaired sexual function. More attention should be paid to these sexual disorders, previously considered secondary or even neglected.
Disclosure
No significant relationships.
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| ISSN: | 0924-9338 1778-3585 |