Sexual Health Outcomes in Women with Chronic Diseases: Sexual Dysfunction, Quality of Sexual Life and Marital Satisfaction

Abstract This study examines the relationships between sexual dysfunction, quality of sexual life, and marital satisfaction in women with chronic diseases and determines how these variables affect each other. This study employs a correlational and cross-sectional design. The study was conducted with women over the age of 18 in a private hospital in Istanbul between December 2024 and June 2025. Data were collected using the Participant Information Form, Female Sexual Function Questionnaire Index (FSFQI), Sexual Life Quality Scale-Women Scale SLQS-WS), and Marital Adjustment Scale (MAS), all of which were prepared by the researchers. Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests were used to assess whether continuous variables demonstrated normality. Since the variables did not exhibit a normal distribution, nonparametric tests were used. Descriptive statistical methods (standard deviation, number, percentage, mean, minimum, maximum), Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and Spearman correlation tests were used. Significance was set at p < .05.The average age of women with chronic diseases included in the study was 39.50 ± 10.29, and the average duration of marriage was 15.81 ± 11.45. The total average score of the women’s Sexual Function Questionnaire Index was 23.05 ± 11.11, the total average score of the Sexual Life Quality Scale-(Women’s Scale) was 42.89 ± 19.59, and the total average score of the Marital Adjustment Scale was 45.51 ± 7.19. A statistically significant relationship was found between FSFQI ( r =-.518, p = .000), SLQS-WS ( r =-.477, p = .000)and MAS ( r = .333, p = .000) scores of women with chronic diseases. Chronic fatigue was found to be highly prevalent and showed a meaningful association with sexual function, sexual quality of life, and marital adjustment, indicating its potential impact on these interrelated domains.