Aspects of sexuality in bipolar women

Abstract

Introduction

In spite of more studies dedicated to the topic of sexual disorders among schizophrenic patients or to the sexual effects of antipsychotics and antidepressants, few studies entangle broadly the issue of sexual attitudes and behaviors of bipolar patients, due partly to the heterogeneity of the disorder and the variety of episodes, and treatments.

Objectives

To establish if special sexual patterns are specific to depressive or manic episodes and if the sexual disorders are related to the severity of the mood episodes.

Aims

To compare depressive, manic, and matched controls regarding their sexuality.

Methods

The current study is an observational cross sectional study, carried out on 173 women, among them 112 bipolar, diagnosed according to ICD-10 criteria (81 depressive, and 31 manic), and 61 controls. All subjects fulfilled the Sexual Disorders Interview (SDI), Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and to bipolar patients BDI, YMRS have been administered.

Results

Female bipolar patients were significant less sexual active than controls, depressive women being less interested in sexuality than manic patients; there were not significant differences between the two patients’ samples regarding the frequency of sexual intercourse, degree of psychopathology. Sexual problems on FSFI were detected in 75% of bipolar patients, both bipolar groups emphasizing difficulties in arousal, lubrication and sexual satisfaction.

Conclusions

The issue of sexual problems in bipolar female patients is delicate to investigate and often neglected, being difficult to ascertain to the mood disorder itself or to different treatments the patients have been exposed to, or to stigma.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.