Abstract:
Diabetes mellitus causes a wide range of clinical, psychological, behavioral, and
sexual issues in women. Sexual dysfunction is a common complication of diabetes
that adversely affects the quality of life. Those issues lead to a significant negative
impact on one's quality of life, marital relationships, and treatment outcomes.
Because the issue has received little attention in Ethiopia, the goal of this study was
to determine the prevalence and factors associated with sexual dysfunction in women
with diabetes mellitus.
A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from a planned sample of 423
involving 395 (93.4%) diabetic female patients at the University of Gondar
Comprehensive Specialized Referral Hospital in the northwest Amhara region. A
systematic sampling technique was employed. A face-to-face interviewer-administered
questionnaire and a review of the patient's medical records were used to collect data. The
Female Sexual Functioning Index Questionnaire—19 items (FSFIQ—19)—was used to
measure the sexual functioning of women from July 27 to September 5, 2022. A binary
logistic regression was employed, and a multivariable logistic regression model was used
to control the effect of confounders. Based on a p-value ≤0.05, variables that had an
independent correlation with sexual dysfunction were identified. Likewise, the direction
and strength of association were interpreted using the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with its
corresponding 95% CI.
The prevalence of women's sexual dysfunction was 54.7% (95% CI: 50.1–59.5). Age of
the respondent greater than 31 years (AOR = 2.13; 95% CI: [1.14–4.04]), females with
diabetes for more than or equal to five years (AOR = 4.68; 95% CI: 1.40–9.69), type 2
diabetes mellitus (AOR = 2.39; 95% CI: 1.62-4.36), depression (AOR = 2.24; 95% CI:
1.17–4.30), and ever using alcohol (AOR = 2.65; 95% CI: 1.64) were significantly
associated with sexual dysfunction. From the total domain of the female sexual function
index, sexual desire had the highest prevalence (57.7%), and arousal was the second
highest prevalence (53.9%).
Therefore, pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions to treat sexual
dysfunction in women, as well as psychological support for women with diabetes who
experience sexual dysfunction, can be integrated into a diabetes service. However,
healthcare providers and psychologists must pay special attention and raise awareness in
order to provide specialized diagnostic approaches and treatment for cases of sexual
dysfunction.
