%0 Journal Article
%T Sexual health in parous women with a history of polycystic ovary syndrome: A national cross-sectional study in Denmark.
%A Nohr EA
%A Hansen AB
%A Andersen MS
%A Hjorth S
%J Int J Gynaecol Obstet
%V 157
%N 3
%D Jun 2022 3
%M 34478562
%F 4.447
%R 10.1002/ijgo.13911
%X <B>OBJECTIVE: </B>To examine associations between polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and sexual health in midlife.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>We included 31 645 mothers from the Danish National Birth Cohort who participated in a Maternal Follow up in 2013-14. A lifetime PCOS diagnosis was self-reported. Sexual health was assessed by specific sexual problems including reduced sexual desire, insufficient lubrication, difficulty in obtaining orgasm, vaginismus and pain during intercourse within the past year. We also generated a combined outcome which was positive if the women reported one or more sexual problems. Logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for sexual problems with 95% confidence intervals (CI).<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>Participants were on average 44 years old, and 920 women (2.9%) had ever had PCOS. One or more sexual problems were more often reported in women with PCOS compared with other women (42.6% versus 36.3%, aOR 1.29, 95% CI 1.13-1.48). Especially reduced sexual desire (25.6% versus 21.0%, aOR 1.29, 95% CI 1.10-1.50) and dyspareunia (11.4% versus 8.7%, aOR 1.34, 95% CI 1.09-1.66) were more frequent in women with PCOS. These associations were slightly weakened when further adjusting for mental and somatic health problems.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>Our data suggest that PCOS is linked to long-term impaired sexual health, especially reduced sexual desire and dyspareunia.