Examining the relationship between uterine fibroids and dyspareunia among premenopausal women in the United States. 2014

Malana Moshesh, and Andrew F Olshan, and Tina Saldana, and Donna Baird
NIH, Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NC, USA.

BACKGROUND Despite estimates of a high prevalence of deep dyspareunia (DD) among women in the United States, risk factors for this important area of sexual dysfunction have been largely understudied. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between uterine fibroids and the prevalence of DD. METHODS We used data from the Uterine Fibroid Study (enrollment 1996-1999 in a U.S. metropolitan area). Participating women were ages 35-49 and were randomly selected from the membership rolls of a prepaid health plan. Women were asked to provide detailed health information including a symptom questionnaire with questions about DD and to have a study ultrasound to screen for fibroids ≥ 0.5 cm in diameter. The analysis included 827 women, after restriction to participants who were premenopausal with an intact uterus, sexually active, completed the symptom questionnaire, and had fibroid status adequately assessed. Logistic regression was conducted to estimate the adjusted prevalence odds ratio (aPOR) for the association of DD with presence of fibroids after adjusting for age, ethnicity, education, depression, physical activity, parity, and pelvic pathology. METHODS Our main outcome measures were the presence and severity of DD. RESULTS The presence of fibroids was significantly associated with DD (aPOR = 1.7 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1, 2.5). The aPOR was stronger for severe DD, DD that interfered with normal activity "some" or "a lot" (aPOR = 3.1 95% CI 1.2, 8.2). However, there was not a significant dose response relationship between fibroid burden (measured by uterine volume) and DD. Fundal fibroids were more strongly associated with DD than other fibroids. Additional factors associated with significantly elevated odds of DD were parity, depression, younger age, and pelvic pathology. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that fibroids are associated with DD. The association may not be causal but may reflect shared etiology and/or pathologic pathways.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007889 Leiomyoma A benign tumor derived from smooth muscle tissue, also known as a fibroid tumor. They rarely occur outside of the UTERUS and the GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT but can occur in the SKIN and SUBCUTANEOUS TISSUE, probably arising from the smooth muscle of small blood vessels in these tissues. Fibroid,Fibroid Tumor,Fibroid Uterus,Fibroids, Uterine,Fibroma, Uterine,Fibromyoma,Leiomyoma, Uterine,Fibroid Tumors,Fibroid, Uterine,Fibroids,Fibromas, Uterine,Fibromyomas,Leiomyomas,Tumor, Fibroid,Tumors, Fibroid,Uterine Fibroid,Uterine Fibroids,Uterine Fibroma,Uterine Fibromas,Uterus, Fibroid
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D004414 Dyspareunia Recurrent genital pain occurring during, before, or after SEXUAL INTERCOURSE in either the male or the female.
D004812 Epidemiologic Methods Research techniques that focus on study designs and data gathering methods in human and animal populations. Epidemiologic Method,Epidemiological Methods,Methods, Epidemiologic,Epidemiological Method,Method, Epidemiologic,Method, Epidemiological,Methods, Epidemiological
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D014481 United States A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.
D014594 Uterine Neoplasms Tumors or cancer of the UTERUS. Cancer of Uterus,Uterine Cancer,Cancer of the Uterus,Neoplasms, Uterine,Neoplasms, Uterus,Uterus Cancer,Uterus Neoplasms,Cancer, Uterine,Cancer, Uterus,Cancers, Uterine,Cancers, Uterus,Neoplasm, Uterine,Neoplasm, Uterus,Uterine Cancers,Uterine Neoplasm,Uterus Cancers,Uterus Neoplasm
D017697 Premenopause The period before MENOPAUSE. In premenopausal women, the climacteric transition from full sexual maturity to cessation of ovarian cycle takes place between the age of late thirty and early fifty. Pre-Menopause,Pre-menopausal Period,Premenopausal Period,Period, Pre-menopausal

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