Prevalence of Female Sexual Dysfunction and Barriers to Seeking Primary Health Care Treatment in an Arab Male-Centered Regime

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is a common health issue and women living in male-centered regimes are more vulnerable to have FSD. AIM: This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of FSD in Bahrain, which is male-centered and impacted with cultural and Islamic religious standards, and the associated variables with FSD, including the barriers to seeking medical help from health-care professionals. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional design based on interview questions of 360 married women between 18 and 60 years of age who randomly visited one of three health clinics in Bahrain. The prevalence of FSD in Bahrain and the variables associated with it was analyzed using Chi-square and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 360 enrolled women, 43% reported having sexual problems during intercourse (p < 0.05, 95% CI 38.1–48.6%). Most of the sexual problems were related to having painful intercourse (42%) or low sexual desire (37%). Furthermore, the mean age of females with FSD was significantly higher than females with no FSD (p < 0.05). Most importantly, the multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that husband polygamy was linked to FSD with an OR of 2.469 (95% CI 1.218–5.001). On the other hand, females with low to no parity were associated lower rates of FSD with an OR of 0.482 (95% CI 0.252–0.922). Furthermore, more than 96% of females were not asked by their doctor about their sexual problems, and 87% of the participants did not dare to discuss the problem with their doctor. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of FSD in and the challenges that face women’s sexual health in Arab male-centered country were high. FSD was associated with husband polygamy, higher age, and high parity.