Sexual health of women with pelvic floor disorders

Abstract

Sexual health is a right for the healthy or sick individual human being. The effects of the illness on sexual function may be mediated directly by physiological mechanisms or by psychological factors related to the illness. Treatment of the illness itself can affect sexual function. Comorbidity in women with sexual dysfunction is common. When we evaluate sexual dysfunction, it is important to determine the role of the illness as a factor that predisposes, precipitates, and maintains the sexual problem. In the context of urogynecological clinical practice we have patients sexually active or inactive, with a self perceived "normal sexual life", or with sexual problems that may be related or not with their pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD). Most physicians admit that this is important to detect sexual dysfunction, but only half of them regularly screen for it. Considering pelvic floor dysfunction as a comorbidity of women's sexual dysfunction and in spite of the inherent complexity of women's sexuality, future research would merit focusing on this comorbidity as well as a bio-psychosocial approach. In the twenty-first century, in general, we still have a great deal to learn about female sexuality.