Abstract

Background and objectives: Sexual dysfunction is one of the most common but considerably less explored female sexual problems in the Arabian world. This study provides insights into the prevalence of this problem in Bahraini women. To explore the prevalence and various aspects of the female sexual dysfunctions (FSD) in Bahraini women.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study which involved the collection of FSD data. The subjects were selected, in equal numbers, from four health centers in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) was used in this study.
Results: This study established that FSD is highly prevalent in Bahraini women (55.8%) and is associated with various features and characteristics. Many demographic and health risk factors of FSD were identified, including wife’s and husband’s age, female’s education and employment status, duration of the marriage and the number of children, as well as the presence of chronic illnesses such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension. In addition, it has been demonstrated that the awareness of the availability of sexual healthcare services was poor amongst women attending the healthcare centers, with 73% of women indicating they had no prior knowledge of such a facility.
Conclusion: Prevalence of FSD in Bahrain is high, and more attention should be directed toward this problem. Most women, however, seem to be unconcerned with their FSDs. Most subjects in this study were unaware of the existence of sexual healthcare facilities. A planned follow-up study is warranted to further understanding of FSD in Bahraini women.

Keywords: Female sexual dysfunction, Female Sexual Function Index