A Systemic Review on the Association Between Infertility and Sexual Dysfunction Among Women Utilizing Female Sexual Function Index as a Measuring Tool

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention describes infertility as the inability to conceive after one year or longer with adequate unprotected sex. Infertility affects both females and males, interfering with their everyday lives and significantly impacting their mental health. Sexual dysfunction is defined as an alteration of the sexual response cycle phases, preventing satisfaction during sexual activity. The prevalence of sexual dysfunction in the United States is high, with about 10%-52% among men and 25%-63% among women. Different scales can measure sexual satisfaction and double as a tool to diagnose sexual dysfunction. The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) is the gold standard for diagnosing sexual dysfunction in women. Overall, fertile women had a higher score on the FSFI than infertile women; however, both groups showed sexual dysfunctions even if the fertile group was classified as a mild disorder. The most common disorders were disorders of desire and lubrication. Desire and arousal dysfunction appeared more common in participants with secondary infertility, while lubrication dysfunctions were more common in older participants. In the future, it will be important to evaluate other factors that affect sexual function and fertility including mental health, male health, and couple factors.