Female Sexual Function Inventory Research Articles

Does L-arginine/Korean ginseng/gingko biloba/damiana-based supplement improve the sexual function and quality of life of female cancer survivors: A randomized trial.

9016 Background: There is a lack of research to support interventions that may be effective in improving quality of life and sexual function disorders in female cancer survivors. L-arginine/Korean ginseng/gingko biloba/damiana-based supplement (ArginMax) contains L-arginine, which enhances systemic nitric oxide synthesis, resulting in vasodilation that may improve sexual function. Methods: This was a 12 week, randomized, placebo controlled trial. Eligible patients were females at least 6 months from active treatment and without current evidence of cancer. All patients took 3 capsules two times daily (6 total/day) and kept pill diaries. The primary outcome measure was the Female Sexual Function Inventory (FSFI) while the secondary outcome measure was the FACT-G quality of life instrument. Assessments including toxicities were made at baseline, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Results: 186 patients were accrued to this trial between 5/10/07 and 3/24/10. Ages ranged from 23 to 79 with a median of 50 years. 76% of the participants were White, 21% were Black, and 3% were Hispanic. Patients were survivors of breast (78%), gynecological (12%) or other (10%) primaries. There was a high rate of sexual dysfunction at baseline: 58% <1 intercourse per month, 67% moderate to extreme dissatisfaction, and 64% moderate to extreme disinterest. Overall sexual function, as measured by the FSFI, improved by 3 points in the control group and 3.7 points in the ArginMax arm over the 12 week study period, a difference that was not statistically significant (p = .610). FACT-G total quality of life scores, however, were significantly better at 12 weeks among participants receiving ArginMax compared to those receiving placebo (LS means of 87.5 vs 82.9, p = .009). The physical (24.6 vs 22.9, p = .001) and functional (21.6 vs 19.8, p = .007) subscale scores were most impacted. Toxicities were similar on both arms, although more hot flashes were reported on the ArginMax versus placebo arm (73% vs 59%, p = .065). Conclusions: This trial documented a high rate of sexual dysfunction in female cancer survivors. While ArginMax had no significant impact on sexual function, quality of life was significantly better at 12 weeks for the participants receiving ArginMax. Supported by NCI/DCP CCOP Research Base Grant 5 U10 CA081851-11.

Measuring Women's Satisfaction with Treatment for Sexual Dysfunction: Development and Initial Validation of the Women's Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction (WITS‐9)

To develop a brief, psychometrically sound, measure of satisfaction with treatment for female sexual arousal disorder. In Phase 1, women in focus groups generated items measuring satisfaction with treatment for arousal disorder. In Phase 2, expert clinicians/researchers and women with self-reported female sexual arousal disorder (FSAD) assessed the content validity of the items. In Phase 3, women enrolled in a double-blind treatment trial for female sexual dysfunction completed the Women's Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction (WITS) and the Female Sexual Function Inventory (FSFI) to provide reliability and validity information. WITS and FSFI. In Phase 2, 36 items demonstrated adequate content validity. In Phase 3, 20 items correlated with symptom improvement on the FSFI arousal subscale. Factor analysis sorted these items into three dimensions: initiation/receptivity satisfaction, treatment satisfaction, and perceived partner satisfaction. The three items with the highest loadings on each factor formed the WITS-9. Internal consistency (α) reliability coefficients for the total WITS-9 score and the three subscale scores were 0.92, 0.93, 0.92, and 0.79, respectively. Correlations of WITS-9 scores with the FSFI change scores for subgroups with different sexual dysfunctions offer construct validity support that the WITS-9 measures treatment satisfaction for women with a variety of sexual dysfunctions. The WITS-9 is a brief, psychometrically sound scale that is useful for assessing treatment satisfaction in women with sexual dysfunctions. While the WITS-9 is promising, further work needs to be done to obtain reliability and validity information in additional samples.

SSI Prize Essay for Female Sexual Dysfunction—Clinical ‘Clinical evaluation of female sexual function: effects of age and estrogen status on subjective and physiologic sexual responses’

30-50% of American women complain of sexual dysfunction. Aging, menopause, and a decline in circulating estrogen levels significantly increase the incidence of sexual complaints. Evaluation of physiologic components of the female sexual response has, in the past, been technically challenging and difficult to standardize. We describe methodology for evaluating physiologic and subjective components of the female sexual response in the clinical setting and determine the effects of age and estrogen status on them. 48 women with complaints of sexual dysfunction were evaluated. Physiologic measurements include genital blood peak systolic velocity, vaginal pH, intravaginal pressure-volume changes (compliance), and genital vibratory perception thresholds. Measurements were recorded at baseline and following sexual stimulation. Baseline subjective sexual function was assessed using a Female Sexual Function Inventory. Age was then correlated with both physiologic and subjective sexual responses. Sexual stimulation resulted in increased mean genital blood peak systolic velocity, vaginal pressure-volume, and vaginal pH measurements (P < 0.05) in all women. Older women (ages 55-71 y) and menopausal women not on hormone replacement therapy had significantly lower physiologic response sexual complaints. Baseline subjective sexual function complaints included low arousal (67%), low desire (21%), difficulty achieving orgasm (92%), and pain or discomfort during and/or following intercourse (67%). Clinical evaluation of physiologic and subjective components of the female sexual response are possible using this comprehensive approach. Physiologic measurements were reproducible and easy to perform, and incidence and types of sexual complaints were assessed with the sexual function questionnaire. A comprehensive approach is necessary when evaluating female sexual dysfunction due to the significant emotional and relational factors that can contribute to the problem. This combined subjective/physiologic assessment may also prove useful when evaluating efficacy of pharmacotherapy in the future.