Extract

Objective

Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of unwanted sexual experiences (USEs) in a setting of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) and to examine whether they are associated with different psychosexual parameters depending on the timing of occurrence.

Methods

A consecutive series of 200 heterosexual women attending our clinic for FSD was consecutively recruited. Patients underwent a structured interview and completed the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), the Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire (MHQ), the Female Sexual Distress Scale Revised (FSDS-R), the Body Uneasiness Test (BUT), and the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse Questionnaire (CECA-Q).

Results

47 women (23.5%) reported USEs, occurring in childhood (<14 years), adolescence (<17 and ≥14), and adult life (≥17) in 38.3% (n=18), 31.9% (n=15), and 29.8% (n=14) of cases, respectively. We observed an association between history of lifetime USEs and indexes of psychopathology, specifically diagnosis of psychiatric diseases, use of psychiatric medications, and anxiety symptoms (MHQ free-floating anxiety score, MHQ-A). USEs were associated with lower orgasm ability (FSFI orgasm domain), higher sexually related distress levels (FSDS-R total score), and higher body image concerns (BUT) including depersonalization symptoms. Notably, women exposed to USEs in adolescence reported a stronger impairment of arousal, orgasm, and satisfaction domains and higher sexual distress when compared to women without a history of USEs or reporting USEs in childhood. Women exposed to USEs in childhood exhibited higher body image concerns and depersonalization symptoms when compared to those not reporting USEs.

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