Sexual dysfunction in women with Sjögren’s syndrome: a cross-sectional observational study
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background This study aimed to assess the prevalence of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) and its association with clinical characteristics in female patients with Sjögren’s syndrome (SS).Methods In this cross-sectional study, 158 female patients with SS admitted to the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology of three Grade-III Class-A hospitals in Beijing between January 2021 and December 2023 were included. The general clinical data, sexual function feelings, medication use, psychological status, and socioeconomic factors of the patients were collected with a standardised questionnaire and assessed.Results Of the 158 patients, 124 (78.5%) were diagnosed with FSD based on Female Sexual Function Index scores <26.5. The mean age and course of disease were significantly higher in the FSD group than in the non-FSD group (p < 0.05), with a higher proportion of patients aged ≥40 years in the former (71.8%) than the latter (11.8%). After adjusting for potential confounding factors, including medication use, psychological status and socioeconomic factors, the association between SS and FSD remained significant (p < 0.05). In the FSD group, decreased libido (79.0%), difficulty in sexual arousal (71.8%), difficulty in vaginal lubrication (66.1%), orgasmic disorder (77.4%), decreased sexual satisfaction (81.5%) and dyspareunia (75.0%) were commonly reported.Conclusions The findings of this study suggest that early identification and intervention of FSD for female patients with SS is essential to improve their quality of life.
Authors: Meiyu Wang, Zhenlei Gao
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,390
OpenAlex ID: W4407522509