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 (=3.34, 95% CI 1.16-5.52) and history of alcohol use (=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.