Women's Health Nursing (여성건강간호학회지)

Korean Society of Women Health Nursing (한국여성건강간호학회)
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A Survey of Urban Middle-aged Women's Sexual Function and Sexual Distress

중년여성의 성 기능과 성 디스트레스 양상: 서울시 거주 여성을 대상으로

  • Park, Young-Sook (College of Nursing, & The Research Institute of Nursing Science, Seoul National University) ;
  • Cho, In-Sook (Department of Nursing, School of Medicine, Inha University) ;
  • Kim, Yoon-Mi (College of Nursing, Seoul National University)
  • 박영숙 (서울대학교 간호대학, 서울대학교 간호과학연구소) ;
  • 조인숙 (인하대학교 의과대학 간호학과) ;
  • 김윤미 (서울대학교 간호대학)
  • Published : 2007.12.20
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Abstract

Objective: This survey assessed the prevalence and type of sexual dysfunction in middle-aged women regarding sexually related personal distress and examined the prevalence of perceived sexual dysfunction and perceived partners' dysfunction by women. Methods: One-hundred ten healthy community-based middle-aged women participated voluntarily, and validated questionnaires of the Female Sexual Function Index(FSFI) and the Female Sexual Distress Score(FSDS) were used. Results: The percentage of women having sexual dysfunction and sexual distress were 67% and 32% respectively according to the cut-off of FSFI and FSDS. The average score of FSFI was 23.5(s.d.=5.7), which was lower than the cut-off of FSFI, while the average score of FSDS was 13.2, which was in range of a normal score. When considering the two concepts simultaneously, the women were categorized into 4 groups: sexually stressed dysfunction group (24.8%), sexually depressed group(42.2%), sexually healthy group(25.7%), and sexually hyperactive group (7.3%). The percentage of women reporting sexual problems was 24.3%, while the percentage of women reporting sexual dysfunction in their partner was 29.9%. Conclusions: The results indicate a high rate of sexual dysfunction and sexual distress in middle-aged women. However, considering the relationships between sexual dysfunction and sexual distress, almost two thirds were in the sexually depressed group among the women having sexual dysfunction.

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