The Relationship of Close Marital Affairs to Healthy Women’s Sexual Function: A Cross-Sectional Retrospective Study in Egypt

INTRODUCTION: Some marriage-related factors may be associated with women’s sexuality, but this topic has not been sufficiently investigated in developing countries. Indeed, these marital factors can be well planned and/or managed to achieve desirable outcomes; for instance, the legal age of marriage can be increased to 21 years. However, how this will reflect on women’s sexuality should be clarified before any laws are changed. AIM: The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations of the age of marriage, number of children, educational level, duration of marriage, and aging with female sexual function among groups of Egyptian women. METHODS: We analyzed the recorded sociodemographic data and scores of the 19-item Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) among 270 apparently healthy women aged 21−45 years. According to the studied variables, the data were divided into various subgroups. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The sociodemographic data and scores of the FSFI. RESULTS: Marriage, before or after 21 years, was not correlated with sexual function. FSFI scores were significantly lower among women with ≥3 children and women who had been married for ≥10 years. FSFI scores were significantly lowest in women with the lowest educational level and those aged ≥40 years. CONCLUSION: It is important to ensure that people are equipped with accurate information. Sound knowledge can serve as the basis for informed decisions regarding the age of marriage and number of children desired. Furthermore, everyone, not just women, should be aware of the adverse sexual effects associated with long marriages and the age-related declines in sexual activity. Accordingly, women can achieve better sexual satisfaction. Hassanin AM, Kaddah AN, El-Amir MY. The Relationship of Close Marital Affairs to Healthy Women’s Sexual Function: A Cross-Sectional Retrospective Study in Egypt. Sex Med 2019;7:498–504.