SERGIO MARTINEZ VAZQUEZ

Background: Pelvic floor dysfunction encompasses conditions like urinary and fecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and pelvic pain, significantly affecting women’s quality of life. Despite its prevalence, few studies have adopted a qualitative approach to understanding women’s perceptions and emotions regarding these issues. This study aims to delve into how women with pelvic floor disorders perceive their condition and its impact on their daily lives. Methods: We analyzed qualitative data from interviews with 160 women suffering from pelvic floor dysfunctions. Using inductive qualitative content analysis, we systematically examined the data to identify variations, differences, and similarities. Results: The analysis revealed four primary themes in the women’s narratives: “Physical Impacts”, “Emotional and Psychological Impacts”, “Social and Relational Impacts”, and “Sexual Health Impacts”, along with 12 subthemes. The findings predominantly highlight how pelvic floor dysfunctions detrimentally affect women’s quality of life and emotional well-being, instilling fear and insecurity in daily activities, compounded by sleep disturbances and sexual dysfunction. Conclusions: Women living with pelvic floor dysfunction face multifaceted challenges that adversely affect various aspects of their lives, diminishing their overall quality of life. This includes notable impacts on sleep, physical, and sexual activities. However, not all affected women report these issues, often due to fear of stigma, choosing instead to conceal their struggles in an effort to maintain an appearance of normalcy.

Objective To determine the association between different pelvic floor disorders and the presence of sexual dysfunction in women. Method An observational study of non‐pregnant women was carried out in Spain in 2021 and 2022. To assess the presence of pelvic floor problems, the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI‐20) was used, consisting of the subscales Pelvic Organ Prolapse Distress Inventory‐6 (POPDI‐6; prolapse symptoms), Colorectal‐Anal Distress Inventory (CRADI‐8; colorectal symptoms), and Urinary Distress Inventory‐6 (UDI‐6; urinary symptoms). The validated tool, Female Sexual Function (FSF), was used to evaluate female sexual function. Results In total, 1008 women participated. Of these, 288 (28.6%) had some type of sexual dysfunction. Regarding symptoms, 52 (5.2%) stated that they do not reach orgasm and 172 (17.1%) said they had never or occasionally felt sexual desire in the last month. Women with sexual dysfunctions had higher mean scores on the POPDI‐6, CRADI‐8, and UDI‐6 subscales than those who did not have sexual dysfunction ( P ≤ 0.005). Risk factors identified included being postmenopausal, with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 2.98 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.12–4.18), and a greater impact of the symptoms of pelvic floor problems as assessed by the PFDI‐20 scale, in such a way that for each point increase the probability of sexual dysfunction increases with an aOR of 1.008 (95% CI 1.005–1.011). Conclusion Women with pelvic floor disorders and postmenopausal women present sexual dysfunction more frequently.