One of the most common endocrine disorders in women during reproductive age is polycystic ovary<br />syndrome (PCOS). This study aimed to evaluate sexual functioning among women with PCOS in a sample of a region's<br />population in the west of Iran.<br />Materials and Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study that was conducted on 130 women with PCOS who<br />referred to three clinics of gynecology, infertility, and dermatology affiliated with Hamadan University of Medical<br />Sciences, Iran, from September to November 2020. The measurement tools included demographic characteristics,<br />hirsutism score, and sexual function was assessed using the female sexual function index (FSFI) questionnaire.<br />Results: In total, 60% of patients had reported sexual dysfunction related to lubrication, satisfaction, and pain as domains<br />of sexual dysfunction. The number 109 (83.85%) of them had hirsutism and these patients had a lower score for<br />lubrication (3.7 ± 1.47 vs. 4.47 ± 1.71, P=0.03), orgasm (3.2 ± 1.34 vs. 3.95 ± 1.37, P=0.02), satisfaction (3.4 ± 1.29<br />vs. 3.71 ± 1.33, P=0.03), and FSFI score (22.56 ± 5.78 vs. 25.42 ± 5.51, P=0.04). Women with higher education had<br />reported higher scores of FSFI and its domains. Rural participants had a higher arousal score (3.93 ± 1.4 vs. 3.37 ±<br />1.28, P=0.04). Moreover, housekeeper women had higher scores regarding desire, pain, and total FSFI score.<br />Conclusion: Our results showed that there was a significant association between hirsutism and FSFI scores, different<br />domains, including lubrication, orgasm, and satisfaction.
Keywords: Hirsutism; Iran; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.