Thyroid Autoimmune Disease—Impact on Sexual Function in Young Women

Abstract

The important prevalence of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) in the general population was the main motivation for conducting the present study. The present paper aims to estimate the possible comorbidities related to female sexual dysfunction (FSD) and depression related to AITD. The study group consisted of 320 patients: 250 cases known with untreated AITD, divided into subgroups (euthyroid subgroup, subclinical hypothyroidism subgroup and clinical hypothyroidism subgroup); respectively 70 healthy females in the control group. Patients underwent thyroid evaluation, ovarian evaluation and laboratory assays. At the time of the diagnosis of autoimmune thyroid disease, psychometric scales were filled in by the patients: the Female Sexual Function Index 6 (FSFI-6) and the Beck’s Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). It was observed that healthy patients had significantly higher FSFI scores than patients with AITD (28 vs. 27; p = 0.006). In the AITD group, the risk of FSD increases with the severity of thyroid disease. The most affected areas were: sexual desire (p < 0.001), lubrication (p = 0.001) and orgasm (p = 0.008), followed by excitability and sexual satisfaction. The severity of hypothyroidism influences the degree of decrease in libido, central and peripheral excitability. Sexual satisfaction and orgasm were less influenced. The field related to pain seems uninfluenced by the presence of thyroid disease. The concomitant presence of depression and the value of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) are risk factors in the development of FSD. Higher TSH value and BDI-II score increase the risk of female sexual dysfunction by 1.083 and 1.295 times, respectively. Our findings are significant and promising; they may help professionals dealing with sexual and reproductive health. Despite the importance of female sexual dysfunction and its prevalence, clinicians and patients often ignore it. In fact, only a small percentage of patients consult their doctors about sexual health, and their doctors do not often ask them questions related to this aspect.