Sexual Dysfunction and Hypoactive Sexual Desire in Women Living With HIV in Ceará, Brazil: A Cross-Sectional Study

ABSTRACT: The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of sexual dysfunction and hypoactive sexual desire in women living with HIV (WLHIV) and associated factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 387 WLHIV in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. These factors were assessed using the Sociodemographic, Epidemiological and Clinical Form and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Descriptive statistics, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, and odds ratio and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated. Of the 387 WLHIV, 217 were sexually active and 170 were inactive. The M FSFI score was 25.28, with prevalence of sexual dysfunction of 53.0% (95% CI = 46.36-59.53), associated with unemployment ( p = .0131), retirement/leave ( p = .0049), not having a casual partner ( p = .0386), and using hormonal contraceptives ( p = .0247). The prevalence of hypoactive sexual desire was 94.12% (95% CI = 89.51-96.77), associated with brown skin color ( p = .0143). It was concluded that WLHIV have a high prevalence of sexual dysfunction and hypoactive sexual desire.