PS-06-004 Psychosexual correlates of unwanted sexual experiences in women consulting for female sexual dysfunction according to their timing across the life span

Abstract

Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of unwanted sexual experiences (USEs) in a setting of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) and to examine whether they are associated with different psychosexual parameters depending on the timing of occurrence. A consecutive series of 200 heterosexual women attending our clinic for FSD was consecutively recruited. Patients underwent a structured interview and completed the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), the Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire (MHQ), the Female Sexual Distress Scale Revised (FSDS-R), the Body Uneasiness Test (BUT), and the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse Questionnaire (CECA-Q). 47 women (23.5%) reported USEs, occurring in childhood (<14 years), adolescence (<17 and ≥14), and adult life (≥17) in 38.3% (n=18), 31.9% (n=15), and 29.8% (n=14) of cases, respectively. We observed an association between history of lifetime USEs and indexes of psychopathology, specifically diagnosis of psychiatric diseases, use of psychiatric medications, and anxiety symptoms (MHQ free-floating anxiety score, MHQ-A). USEs were associated with lower orgasm ability (FSFI orgasm domain), higher sexually related distress levels (FSDS-R total score), and higher body image concerns (BUT) including depersonalization symptoms. Notably, women exposed to USEs in adolescence reported a stronger impairment of arousal, orgasm, and satisfaction domains and higher sexual distress when compared to women without a history of USEs or reporting USEs in childhood. Women exposed to USEs in childhood exhibited higher body image concerns and depersonalization symptoms when compared to those not reporting USEs.