Prevalence and Predictors of Female Sexual Dysfunction in Migraine

BACKGROUND: Migraine is a common cause of primary headache, with women being affected thrice as common as men. Very few studies are available on sexual dysfunction in female migraineurs. There are no published studies done on the same in India till now. This study was done to look for the prevalence and predictors of sexual dysfunction disorder in females suffering from migraine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study done to look for the prevalence and predictors of female sexual dysfunction in migraine. Sixty female patients with migraine were studied. The International Headache Society's International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3(rd) Edition, was followed to diagnose migraine with or without aura. Migraine disability assessment scale was used to assess migraine-related disability, and Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) score was used to assess female sexual function. RESULTS: Sexual dysfunction was found in 78.3% migraineurs. The mean FSFI score was 23.1 ± 4.76. The FSFI scores in all the domains were lower in the individuals studied. Acute headaches resulted in loss of sexual desire among all the migraineurs. CONCLUSION: Sexual dysfunction is common in migraine with all domains of sexual function being affected. There is a significant negative correlation of sexual function with duration of acute episodes of headache and increasing frequency of migraine attacks per month.