The risk of sexual dysfunction associated with alcohol consumption in women: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Nader Salari; Razie Hasheminezhad; Afshin Almasi; Mahvan Hemmati; Shamarina Shohaimi; Hakimeh Akbari; Masoud Mohammadi

doi:10.1186/s12905-023-02400-5

The risk of sexual dysfunction associated with alcohol consumption in women: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMC Womens Health. 2023 May 2;23(1):213. doi: 10.1186/s12905-023-02400-5.

Authors

Nader Salari^{1

2}, Razie Hasheminezhad³, Afshin Almasi¹, Mahvan Hemmati³, Shamarina Shohaimi⁴, Hakimeh Akbari⁵, Masoud Mohammadi⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biostatistics, School of Health, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
² Sleep Disorders Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
³ Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
⁴ Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
⁵ Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Gerash University of Medical Sciences, Gerash, Iran.
⁶ Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Gerash University of Medical Sciences, Gerash, Iran. Masoud.mohammadi1989@yahoo.com.

Abstract

Background: Alcohol abuse among women is a significant health problem. Consuming alcohol in high amounts causes decreased sexual stimulation, vaginal lubrication, dyspareunia, and difficulty reaching orgasm. Due to the different effects of alcohol consumption on sexual function, this study aimed to investigate the effect of alcohol consumption on sexual dysfunction in women.

Methods: In this study, the researchers conducted a systematic search of several databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and ScienceDirect, as well as the Google Scholar search engine, to identify studies reporting the impact of alcohol consumption on female sexual dysfunction. The search was conducted up until July 2022. A total of 225 articles were searched in the databases, and an additional 10 relevant articles were identified through manual search. After removing 93 articles due to duplication, 90 articles were excluded based on the study's inclusion and exclusion criteria. During the merit evaluation phase, 26 articles were excluded through the full-text study based on the study's inclusion and exclusion criteria, while 26 articles were excluded due to their low quality. Ultimately, only 7 studies were deemed suitable for the final evaluation. The analysis was conducted using a random effects model, while the heterogeneity of the studies was assessed using the I² index. Data analysis was performed using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Version 2 software.

Results: Based on the review of 7 studies involving a total sample size of 50,225 women and using the random effects method, the calculated odds ratio was 1.74 (95% CI: 1.006-3.04). This indicates that alcohol consumption increases the likelihood of sexual dysfunction in women by 74%. The Begg and Mazumdar rank correlation test, was used to analyze the distribution bias, but the results were not significant at the 0.1 significance level (p = 0.763).

Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrate a significant correlation between alcohol consumption and an increased risk of sexual dysfunction in women. These results highlight the need for policymakers to prioritize this issue and raise awareness regarding the harmful effects of alcohol consumption on female sexual function and its impact on population health and reproduction.

Keywords: Alcohol; Alcoholic; FSD; Female sexual dysfunction.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Systematic Review

MeSH terms

Alcohol Drinking* / adverse effects
Alcoholism
Dyspareunia
Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological* / etiology
Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological* / etiology