Sexual Function in Pelvic Floor Disorders: A Pilot Study on the Feasibility of Routine Assessment
<b>Background/Objectives</b>: Pelvic floor disorders (PFDs), which include pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence, are common conditions that often affect sexual health, but remain under-assessed within routine care. The following cases are presented to demonstrate the potential of a brief sexual health questionnaire in pelvic floor clinics and to explore how sexual function varies across common PFD phenotypes. <b>Methods</b>: A pilot case series was conducted with a group of five sexually active women diagnosed with PFDs at the Materno-Infantil University Hospital in Gran Canaria, Spain, between January and December 2025. Patients completed the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) at the index visit. <b>Results</b>: Mean age was 40.6 years (range 35-46), mean parity was 1.6 births and 60% were active smokers. Mean FSFI total score was 26.9 (range 21.4-32.2) and 60% scored below 26.55. Desire and arousal were relatively preserved (means 5.0 and 4.9), whereas lubrication (3.4) and satisfaction (3.9) showed greater variability. Pain scores were low overall (mean 5.2). Self-rated sexual satisfaction was low in 40%, moderate in 40% and high in 20%. Moderate-to-high anticipatory sexual anxiety was present in 80%. <b>Conclusions</b>: Integrating a concise questionnaire based on the FSFI into the pelvic floor consultation appears to be a reasonable approach, with the potential to address secondary sexual dysfunction in patients with PFD, thereby facilitating personalised counselling and treatment.
Authors
- Esther Patricia Escamilla Galindo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4661-5652)
- Alicia Inmaculada Martin Martínez
Institutions
- Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ES)
- Hospital Universitario Insular de Gran Canaria (ES)
- Hospital Materno-Infantil (ES)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Clinical Medicine
- Published
- 2026-03-11
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15062131
- Primary Topic
- Pelvic floor disorders treatments
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00