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A longitudinal study of sexual functioning in women referred for colposcopy: a 2-year follow up.

Hellsten, Charlotte LU ; Lindqvist, Pelle LU and Sjöström, Karin LU (2008) In BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology 115(2). p.205-211
Abstract
Objective To elucidate psychosexual problems in women referred for colposcopy after an abnormal cervical smear and a 6-month and 2-year follow up.



Design Prospective study.



Setting Department of Gynaecology, Malmö University Hospital, Sweden.



Population One hundred consecutive women referred for colposcopy for the first time subsequent to receiving notification of an abnormal cervical smear.



Methods The women completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, a psychosexual questionnaire and had one psychosocial interview prior to colposcopy at all three visits.



Main outcome measures Depending upon the result of the cervical biopsy, women had either a... (More)
Objective To elucidate psychosexual problems in women referred for colposcopy after an abnormal cervical smear and a 6-month and 2-year follow up.



Design Prospective study.



Setting Department of Gynaecology, Malmö University Hospital, Sweden.



Population One hundred consecutive women referred for colposcopy for the first time subsequent to receiving notification of an abnormal cervical smear.



Methods The women completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, a psychosexual questionnaire and had one psychosocial interview prior to colposcopy at all three visits.



Main outcome measures Depending upon the result of the cervical biopsy, women had either a loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) or not. Psychosexual variables, anxiety measures, and psychosocial variables were used to estimate sexual functioning at the beginning of the study and at follow up. Differences in sexual functioning between LEEP and non-LEEP groups were estimated.



Results 'Spontaneous interest in sex', 'frequency of intercourse', and 'sexual arousal' were reported to be statistically significant lower at 6 months compared with the first visit, and at 2 years, 'spontaneous interest in sex' and 'frequency of intercourse' still remained low. There was no difference in sexual functioning between the LEEP and non-LEEP groups at follow up.



Conclusions Two years after referral for colposcopy, women still had an effect on sexual functioning, that is, lesser 'spontaneous interest' and decreased 'frequency of intercourse'. We found no support for a relationship between treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia by LEEP and deterioration in sexual functioning. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology
volume
115
issue
2
pages
205 - 211
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • wos:000252316100013
  • scopus:36849025007
  • pmid:17903228
ISSN
1471-0528
DOI
10.1111/j.1471-0528.2007.01503.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Pediatrics/Urology/Gynecology/Endocrinology (013240400), Obstetric, Gynaecological and Prenatal Ultrasound Research Unit (013242720)
id
ee34ace2-fc26-4e10-a08d-ae712c9b0aac (old id 608853)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=17903228&dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:34:19
date last changed
2022-04-29 20:53:25
@article{ee34ace2-fc26-4e10-a08d-ae712c9b0aac,
  abstract     = {{Objective To elucidate psychosexual problems in women referred for colposcopy after an abnormal cervical smear and a 6-month and 2-year follow up.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Design Prospective study.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Setting Department of Gynaecology, Malmö University Hospital, Sweden.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Population One hundred consecutive women referred for colposcopy for the first time subsequent to receiving notification of an abnormal cervical smear.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Methods The women completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, a psychosexual questionnaire and had one psychosocial interview prior to colposcopy at all three visits.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Main outcome measures Depending upon the result of the cervical biopsy, women had either a loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) or not. Psychosexual variables, anxiety measures, and psychosocial variables were used to estimate sexual functioning at the beginning of the study and at follow up. Differences in sexual functioning between LEEP and non-LEEP groups were estimated.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Results 'Spontaneous interest in sex', 'frequency of intercourse', and 'sexual arousal' were reported to be statistically significant lower at 6 months compared with the first visit, and at 2 years, 'spontaneous interest in sex' and 'frequency of intercourse' still remained low. There was no difference in sexual functioning between the LEEP and non-LEEP groups at follow up.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Conclusions Two years after referral for colposcopy, women still had an effect on sexual functioning, that is, lesser 'spontaneous interest' and decreased 'frequency of intercourse'. We found no support for a relationship between treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia by LEEP and deterioration in sexual functioning.}},
  author       = {{Hellsten, Charlotte and Lindqvist, Pelle and Sjöström, Karin}},
  issn         = {{1471-0528}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{205--211}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology}},
  title        = {{A longitudinal study of sexual functioning in women referred for colposcopy: a 2-year follow up.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0528.2007.01503.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1471-0528.2007.01503.x}},
  volume       = {{115}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}