The use of the sexual function questionnaire as a screening tool for women with sexual dysfunction

Abstract

Aim. To determine if the validated Sexual Function Questionnaire (SFQ), developed to assess efficacy in female sexual dysfunction (FSD) clinical trials, may also have utility in identifying target populations for such studies.

Methods. Data from five clinical trials and two general population surveys were used to analyze the utility of the SFQ as a tool to discriminate between the presence of specific components of FSD (i.e., hypoactive sexual desire disorder, female sexual arousal disorder, female orgasmic disorder, and dyspareunia).

Results. Sensitivity/specificity analysis and logistic regression analysis, using data from all five clinical studies and the general population surveys, confirmed that the SFQ domains have utility in detecting the presence of specific components of FSD and provide scores indicative of the presence of a specific sexual disorder.

Conclusions. The SFQ is a valuable new tool for detecting the presence of FSD and identifying the specific components of sexual functions affected (desire, arousal, orgasm, or dyspareunia).