Evaluation of sexual function and quality of life in Iranian women with tubal ligation: a historical cohort study

Tuba! ligation (TL) is an option for contraception for women who have completed their family. The existence of sexual dysfunction and impaired quality of life (QOL) following this procedure has been the subject of debate for decades. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sexual function, QOL and other factors affecting Iranian women who underwent TL. A historical cohort study was carried out on 150 women who had undergone TL and on 150 women who had used a condom (as the control group). The sexual function of participants was evaluated and compared using Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire. They were also asked to fill out the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) for evaluating their QOL. Furthermore, the effects of educational level and poststerilization regret in the women of TL group were evaluated. With regard to FSFI, all mean values were found to be lower in the TL women and the differences between the two groups were statistically significant in all domains. A significant difference was found in sexual dysfunction in orgasm (P=0.02), satisfaction (P=0.01), pain (P=0.006) and total FSFI scores (P=0.006) between the women regretting vs those not regretting their sterilization. In evaluating the relationship between FSFI and educational level, with the increase of educational level all domain scores increased significantly only in the TL group. There was a significant difference between the two groups in SF-12 scores (69.18 +/- 14.05 vs 78.41 +/- 12.0; P < 0.0001). Our findings reveal the adverse effects of TL on the sexual life and QOL of women. It is recommended that the awareness and knowledge of health-care professionals regarding the sexual function and QOL in women undergoing TL should be increased.