Sexual dysfunction and its determinants among women infected with HIV

Objective To describe the prevalence of female sexual dysfunction ( FSD ) and its determinants among women with HIV infection enrolled for care and treatment in an ambulatory care setting. Methods A questionnaire‐based cross‐sectional survey was conducted among women attending the HIV clinic of Jos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, between March 2013 and February 2014. The self‐administered Female Sexual Function Index ( FSFI ) was used to assess FSD ; a score of less than 26.55 indicated FSD . Pearson coefficient was used to assess interdomain correlation, and multiple linear regression was used to identify factors associated with FSD . Results Among 370 participants, 330 (89.2%, 95% confidence interval [ CI ] 85.6%–92.2%) had FSD . The overall median FSFI score was 19.2 (interquartile range [ IQR ] 6.4–23.9). The arousal domain had the lowest subscore (median 2.7, IQR 0.0–3.6). The highest interdomain correlations were between lubrication and orgasm ( r =0.87), arousal and lubrication ( r =0.84), and arousal and orgasm ( r =0.81) domains. Satisfactory health (β=3.34, 95% CI 1.16–5.52) and history of alcohol use (β=2.38, 95% CI 0.28–4.47) were independently associated with FSD . Conclusion FSD was prevalent among women with HIV infection. Care providers need to routinely address FSD as part of a comprehensive care package in the study setting.