MANAGEMENT OF ENDOCRINE DISEASE: Female sexual dysfunction for the endocrinologist

Abstract

Sexual function is an important component of either general health and quality of life in both genders. Many studies have focused on the different risk factors for sexual dysfunctions, proving an association with several medical conditions. Endocrine disorders have been often mentioned in the pathogenesis of female and male sexual dysfunctions; however, particularly in women, sexual function is rarely addressed during clinical, in general, and endocrinological, in particular, consultations. As a thorough diagnosis is required in order to provide an adequately tailored treatment, knowing how each endocrine dysfunction can impair sexual health is of the utmost importance, considering the high prevalence of conditions such as disorders of pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, gonads, as well as metabolic disorders. We performed a thorough review of existing literature on the different mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of female sexual dysfunctions secondary to endocrine disorders in order to provide an up-to-date reference.