Prevalence of hypoactive sexual desire disorder during menacme and related factors

Abstract

Introduction: Sexual desire is described as a combination of feelings that arouse interest in sexual activity. Reduced sexual desire is the main complaint in sexual medicine clinics, especially among women. It can be described as a complex phenomenon that may be related to hormonal, emotional, relational, physical, and biological processes. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of sexual desire dysfunction in female university students from the Universidade do Planalto Catarinense (UNIPLAC) who are in their menarche, and its possible associated factors, so that it is feasible to verify a possible relationship between sexual desire dysfunction and health, medication, behavior, and marital issues. Additionally, it is intended to contribute to reducing the stigma related to the topic and, thus, increase public awareness about the importance of discussing women's sexual health in an empathetic manner. Methods: The information presented in this article was obtained through a narrative literature review on sexual desire dysfunction in the female population. The articles were selected from the LILACS, MEDLINE, and SciELO platforms; and also by cross-sectional and observational field research through the Google Forms questionnaire, which was answered by UNIPLAC female university students who were in their menacme, aiming to establish the prevalence of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) and its relationship with possible associated factors. Results: The current research identified 67.2% of women in their menacme with complaints regarding decreased sexual desire. Among these, as the main possible associated factors, 56.8% identified the presence of stress and/or fatigue, 49.21% the interference of daily routine, and 27.51% the use of hormonal contraceptive method. Furthermore, only 20.6% of these women reported having sought help on the subject, which indicates the presence of a great stigma, also confirmed in the literature review. Conclusion: It is concluded that there is a lack of research on sexual desire dysfunction that encompasses women in the menarche. However, it can be inferred from the current research that this complaint is quite prevalent in the reproductive period and has a great impact on the quality of life of women, often being associated with several intrinsic and extrinsic factors of women's health. In addition, there is still a great stigma regarding the subject, both among the population, who rarely seek help and guidance, and by health professionals, who are often not qualified to address it.