Symptoms of Anal Incontinence and Impact on Sexual Function

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether symptoms Of anal incontinence (AI) have an impact on sexual function in a cohort of women with pelvic floor disorders and/or incontinence. STUDY DESIGN: We analyzed a cohort of women presenting to an academic urogynecology practice. The control group consisted of those who answered "no" to questions 9-11 on the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory. The AI group consisted of those selecting "yes" to at least I of these questions. Student t test was used to compare differences between groups for the Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire (PISQ-12). RESULTS: The control group had a significantly lower mean score on the PISQ-12 than the AI group. There was no difference in PISQ-12 scores when controlling for stage of prolapse. CONCLUSION: Symptoms of AI were not associated with worse sexual function as measured by the PISQ-12. (J Reprod Med 2009;54:493-498)