Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and sexual functioning among Women in Egypt

Background: Sexuality has rarely been studied in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease female patients, nonetheless they do report several in dysfunction in their sexual life consequent to fear of pain, breathlessness or shortness of breathing and exacerbation. Hence, leading unsatisfactory sexual life. Objective: To assess the effect of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease on sexual functions of female patients at Suez Canal University Hospital as compared to healthy women. Patients and methods: The sample consisted of two groups each of 86 female subjects, with most common aged group from 30 to 40 respectively. The study group suffered Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The comparison group was healthy women who were free of any pulmonary disease. Two instruments were used for data collection. The first to assess socio-demographic features of the two groups and the second to assess sexual functioning and satisfaction. Results: Socio-demographics revealed the following: Education level ranged from illiterate to university graduate in both groups and more than one third of the sample were working in dusty places. Body mass index of both groups showed over-weight measures in 87.2% of the study group and 79.1% of the other group with no statistical difference. Positive history of gynecological problems in both groups was 73.1% and 72% respectively. Reported sexual dysfunctions by female patients were statistically significantly different at (P < 0.05) as compared with the healthy group. Breathing disturbances interrupting sexual intercourse among the study group included: difficult breathing 91.9%, breathlessness 62%, fatigability 54%, particular sexual positions 97.6% and reduced quality of sexual performance 96.9% while the comparison group’s breathing disturbances interrupting sexual intercourse were 36.1%, 9.3%, 12.8%, 14%, 22.1% respectively. Results of Sexual Function Index revealed a negatively significant statistical difference between the study and comparison groups at P < 0.001 with regard to scores of “desire and arousal, and also showed a negative significant difference at P < 0.05 with regard to “sexual satisfaction”. Correlation of the Spirometry biological test “Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1) of the study group with regard to “desire, arousal and sexual satisfaction was positively statistically significant at (P < 0.05) i.e., powerful breezing is positively correlated with desire, arousal, and sexual satisfaction. Conclusion: Significant dysfunction in sexual life as attributed to symptoms of breathing difficulties and difficult sexual positions were found in a majority of the studied Egyptian female group with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Comparatively the healthy women group demonstrated significantly less sexual dysfunction