OBJECTIVES: to determine sexual dysfunctions of the women seen at the Centro de Atenção à Mulher of the Instituto Materno Infantil Prof. Fernando Figueira, IMIP, based on the classification criteria of the 4th edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disturbances. METHODS: a cross sectional study with data obtained through a structured form applied during individual interviews with 100 women aged between 20 and 39 years old in the period of April to May, 2004. The frequency of female sexual dysfunctions and association with biological, demographic and reproductive characteristics of the women, including contraceptives used, was determined. RESULTS: prevalence of at least some type of sexual dysfunction was of 36%. Orgasm dysfunction occurred in 18% of the respondents and dyspareunia appeared in 13% of the women during the month prior to the study. Sexual appetite dysfunction was reported by 11% of the women, 8% had excitation dysfunction and only 1% reported vaginismus. A positive, statistically significant association of female sexual dysfunction and the first sexual intercourse, before 20 years old, frequency of only one sexual intercourse per week or less, and breastfeeding. CONCLUSIONS: the findings suggest that different preventive measures could stop the occurrence of female sexual dysfunctions in a specific group of patients: improving education, facilitating the access to information and counseling, encouraging health preventive policies and finally investments in ongoing medical training and education.
Dispareunia; Female sexual dysfunction; Desire; Orgasm; Dyspareunia
