Investigation on the incidence of sexual dysfunction and related factors in Han women with epilepsy / 中华神经科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the incidence and related factors of sexual dysfunction in Chinese Han women with epilepsy (WWE).Methods A total of 112 cases of Han married WWE were continuously recruited from January 2015 to December 2017 in the Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University,and 120 matched non-epileptic healthy Han married women served as controls.The 112 WWE were classified as focal or comprehensive onset epilepsy and were treated with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) for one year or more.Data collection was performed with a form inquiring about the participants' demographic parameters,including age,duration of marriage,education level,employment,monthly family income per capita,history of infertility and irregular menses.Details of epilepsy in WWE were investigated,including age of onset,duration of illness,seizure frequency,medication adherence.All participants were submitted to relevant scales and questionnaires (Female Sexual Function Index,Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale).In addition,WWE were evaluated by the 8-Item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale and the National Hospital Seizure Severity Scale.Chi-square test,t test and binary Logistic regression were used for statistical analysis.Results A high rate (70.5％,79/112) of sexual dysfunction was detected in WWE,whereas 24.2％ (29/120) in controls (x2=50.061,P＜0.01).Sexual dysfunction affected all dimensionsdesire (85.7％,96/112),arousal (56.3％,63/112),lubrication (47.3％,53/112),orgasm (66.1％,74/112),satisfaction (58.9％,66/112) and pain (41.1％,46/112).Elevated rates of anxiety (40.2％,45/112),depression (33.0％,37/112) and poor medication adherence (31.3％,35/112) were also found in WWE.Binary Logistic regression showed that family economic status (monthly family income per capita ＜1 500 Yuan (OR=8.852,95％CI1.469-53.346,P=0.017),monthly family income per capita 1 500-2 500 Yuan (OR=6.438,95％CI1.439-28.796,P=0.015)),anxiety (OR=1.202,95％CI1.050-1.375,P=0.008) and medication adherence (OR=0.371,95％CI0.155-0.890,P=0.026) were associated with sexual dysfunction.Conclusions The associated factors of sexual dysfunction in Chinese Han WWE are multifactorial.WWE have higher levels of anxiety,poor family economic status and poor medication adherence.Medical professionals should not only better control seizures,but also evaluate and improve patients' sexual function,so as to improve the quality of life of WWE.