Sexual Function, Medication-Related Motivation and Knowledge, and Perceived Spousal Support in Women with Eczema: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Eczema may affect not only dermatological health but also sexual well-being, treatment-related behaviors, and interpersonal relationships. Examining sexual function alongside medication-related factors and perceived spousal support may provide a broader understanding of women’s experiences of eczema. Methods: This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate sexual dysfunction, medication adherence, and perceived spousal support and to examine the relationships among these factors in women with eczema. The study included 218 women diagnosed with eczema who were regularly followed in the dermatology unit of a private hospital in İzmir, Turkey. Data were collected using a personal information form, the Modified Morisky Adherence Scale (MMAS), the Spousal Support Scale (SS), and the Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX). Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, Spearman sensitivity analyses, and three-step hierarchical multiple linear regression were performed. Results: All participants were using antihistamines, and 71.6% reported using them twice daily. According to the ASEX cutoff score, 59.2% of participants screened positive for potential sexual dysfunction, while 56.9% reported not receiving spousal support. The mean ASEX score was 16.19 ± 8.94, and the mean MMAS score was 2.53 ± 2.21. ASEX scores were moderately and positively correlated with MMAS scores (r = 0.528, p < 0.001), whereas the SS total score was not significantly correlated with ASEX (r = −0.026, p = 0.704). ASEX scores were found to be positively correlated with scores on both the motivation (r = 0.568; p < 0.001) and knowledge (r = 0.426; p < 0.001) subdimensions. In hierarchical regression, MMAS scores remained positively associated with ASEX scores after adjustment for age, menopausal status, chronic disease, and antihistamine use duration, although the association was considerably weaker (B = 0.700, p = 0.038); this model explained 51.4% of the variance. Adding sexual intercourse frequency increased the explained variance to 70.5%, and the MMAS association was no longer statistically significant (B = 0.316, p = 0.237). Conclusions: Sexual dysfunction was common in this sample of women with eczema. In bivariate analyses, higher scores for medication-related motivation and knowledge were associated with greater sexual dysfunction. The association between total MMAS and ASEX scores remained significant after adjustment for clinical factors; however, this association weakened and lost statistical significance when sexual intercourse frequency was included in the model. While these findings support the need to consider sexual health during clinical assessment, they do not establish a causal relationship between medication adherence and sexual functioning.