NEUROUROLOGY & FEMALE UROLOGY

Female Sexual and Hormonal Status in Patients with Bronchial Asthma: Relationship with Respiratory Function Tests and Psychological and Somatic Status
Basar MM, Ekici A, Bulcun E, Tuglu D, Ekici MS, Batislam E
Department of Urology, University of Kirikkale Faculty of Medicine, Kirikkale, Turkey
Urology. 2007 Mar;69(3):421-5

• Objectives: To assess the relationship among the sexual, hormonal, physical, and psychological status of women with bronchial asthma (BA) compared with that of healthy volunteers.
• Methods: Thirty-eight women with BA were enrolled in the study. The patients were asked to complete the Female Sexual Function Index, General Health Questionnaire, and Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36-item Health Survey (SF-36). Using the answers on the SF-36, the mental and physical component summary scores were calculated. A total of 20 healthy women were enrolled in the study as the control group. The same questionnaires were given to this group as well. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test and Pearson correlation tests.
• Results: At the end of the study, statistically significant differences were observed for all questionnaire scores (P <0.05). The most common female sexual dysfunction was diminished arousal (n = 30, 78.9%) in women with BA. In the correlation analysis, the total Female Sexual Function Index score had a statistically significant and positive correlation with the mental component summary score (r = 0.503, P = 0.001) and a negative correlation with the General Health Questionnaire score (r = -0.380, P = 0.020).
• Conclusions: The results of our study have shown that BA, as a chronic medical condition, can be a cause of female sexual dysfunction with mental and psychiatric mechanisms.
  
  
• Editorial Comment
  The authors reviewed the association of bronchial asthma (BA) upon female sexual function and dysfunction. The study cohort consisted of 38 married, pre-menopausal women with a diagnosis of bronchial asthma and a control group of 20 healthy women who were also married and pre-menopausal. According to the American Thoracic Society, patients with bronchial asthma did suffer from symptoms of shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing. Patients were excluded if they were older than 50 years old or if their husbands had a sexual dysfunction. The questionnaire forms utilized did encompass quality of life, psychological status as well as sexual status. The female sexual function index included the categories of arousal, desire, orgasm, lubrication, pain and satisfaction. The authors found that the most common sexual problem associated with bronchial asthma was diminished arousal. They do note that though the initiation of sexual activity in women with bronchial asthma was difficult, if arousal and interest could be achieved then successful intercourse could be completed.
  The topic of female sexual dysfunction is very popular in both the lay press as well as with professional study. This study excellently explores the effect of chronic disease upon a woman’s sexual being. The authors do note that a positive mood and well being were the most important parameters controlling sexual activity in women. In view that there have been findings of difference in qualitative and quantitative difference in visually evoked sexual arousal between pre-menopausal and menopausal without bronchial asthma it would be interesting to see if this was mirrored in the population with bronchial asthma (1). In addition, in view that all the patients in this study were married, it would be of both scientific interest and great social commentary to see if a study cohort of unmarried women were more easily aroused than ones who were married when exposed to visual erotic stimuli and the areas of the brain affected (2).

References
1. Jeong GW, Park K, Youn G, Kang HK, Kim HJ, Seo JJ, et al.: Assessment of cerebrocortical regions associated with sexual arousal in premenopausal and menopausal women by using BOLD-based functional MRI. J Sex Med. 2005; 2: 645-51.
2. Park K, Kang HK, Seo JJ, Kim HJ, Ryu SB, Jeong GW. Blood-oxygenation-level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging for evaluating cerebral regions of female sexual arousal response. Urology. 2001; 57: 1189-94.

Dr. Steven P. Petrou
Associate Professor of Urology
Chief of Surgery, St. Luke’s Hospital
Associate Dean, Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education
Jacksonville, Florida, USA