Sexual dysfunction, Depression and Quality of Life in Female Patients with HIV Infection

Objective: In India, psychological aspect of HIV infection in women is poorly understood. The purposes of this study were to evaluate sexual dysfunction, depression rate and health-related quality of life and evaluate the association between these three major domains in a group of HIV+ subjects in Mysore, India. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 85 female HIV+ patients who had referred to voluntary counseling and testing were recruited based on convenience sampling from May to December 2014. The purpose of the study was explained and interested individuals provided informed consent and completed validated questionnaires [Female sexual functional index (FSFI), Hamilton rating scale of Depression, HIV/AIDS Targeted- quality of life Instrument scale(HATQoL)}.Results: Average age of the participants was 33 ± 07 years, duration of HIV was 3.54±1.79 years, CD4 count was 524±176 cells/mm3 and 20.0% were very severely depressed. Logistic regression indicated that Duration of HIV had effect on FSFI and depression (p<0.0001). FSFI was significantly correlated with Depression in all domains and HAT-QoL was significantly correlated with female sexual dysfunction. Pearson’s correlation coefficients showed significant association between the Duration of HIV and the domains of FSFI and Depression (r= -0.712, r=-0.674); between FSFI and Depression (r= -0.935) and between HAT-QoL (r= 0.232). The CD4 count was not significantly associated with any of the major domains. Conclusion: Sexual function and depression showed association with quality of life and duration of HIV. Effective treatment of depression and sexual function may improve the quality of life of HIV-infected person