Predictors of Sexual Dysfunction in HIV-Infected Women

Sexual dysfunction is more common among the people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection than in those without it. The sexual dysfunction in HIV-infected people is associated with adverse outcomes such as reduced quality of life, unprotected sexual activities, and reduced adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate a potential predictor role of some variables such as socioeconomic status, hormonal and HIV disease profile, type of treatment, depression, anxiety, stress, domestic violence, and status of partner infection for sexual function in people with HIV infection. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 40 HIV-infected women with medical records in behavioral disease counseling centers of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. The required data were collected using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21), and Domestic Violence Questionnaire. To examine the CD4 cell levels and hormonal profiles, 5cc blood was taken from the patients simultaneously on days 3 - 5 of their menstrual cycles. The data were analyzed using the SPSS18 software. The mean age of the participants was 38.2 +/- 5.2 years, and the frequency of sexual dysfunction was 100%. There was a statistically significant difference in the levels of the elevated variables such as estradiol, stress, anxiety, and depression. The multivariate analysis showed that only the increased estradiol level (P = 0.005, B = 0.06) was a predictor factor of sexual dysfunction. All the HIV-infected women had sexual dysfunction. The results of this study showed that in those women the increased levels of estradiol could be a predictor of sexual dysfunction.