Survey study, 1986
Is premenstrual syndrome more common in women with low sexual desire?
Yes. Significantly more women with low sexual desire had severe premenstrual syndrome than women without sexual dysfunction. These women also had higher rates of depression.
What they did
Researchers compared 46 married women with low sexual desire to 36 matched controls. They used clinical interviews and questionnaires to measure lifetime mental health history and premenstrual syndrome symptoms.
What they found
Significantly more women with low sexual desire reported severe premenstrual syndrome symptoms. They also had almost twice the lifetime rate of depression compared to controls, and depressive episodes usually occurred before or alongside their sexual desire problems.
What it means for you
Women with low sexual desire experience premenstrual syndrome more often, possibly because of shared biological factors like depression. However, this was a small observational study of only married women and cannot prove cause and effect.
46
women with low sexual desire
36
control women
almost twice
higher depression rate in low sexual desire group
About the study
- Original title
- Lifetime psychopathology in individuals with low sexual desire
- Authors
- Schreiner-Engel P, Schiavi RC
- Journal
- The Journal of nervous and mental disease
- Year
- 1986
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- None; observational comparison.
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1097/00005053-198611000-00002
Topics
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