The impact of genital warts on sexual function and sexuality-related distress in late adolescence

Adolescence is a transition period during which sexual experiences gain importance. Genital warts are sexually transmitted lesions that have been shown to negatively affect sexual perception. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of genital warts on female sexual function and sexuality-related dis...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of impotence research Vol. 34; no. 8; pp. 790 - 794
Main Authors: Erol Koc, E. M., Akkaya, H., Ozaksit, M. G., Moraloglu Tekin, O.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01-12-2022
Nature Publishing Group
Subjects:
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Adolescence is a transition period during which sexual experiences gain importance. Genital warts are sexually transmitted lesions that have been shown to negatively affect sexual perception. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of genital warts on female sexual function and sexuality-related distress in adolescence. A total of 90 female adolescents between the ages of 17 and 21 who had regular sexual intercourse with heterosexual partners were included in this prospective case–control study. Female Sexual Function Index, Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale, and Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised scores of adolescents with genital warts ( n  = 45) were compared to healthy subjects ( n  = 45). Total Female Sexual Function Index and Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale scores revealed significant dysfunction in adolescents with genital warts (20.7 ± 4.13 (20.9) vs. 28.2 ± 3.51 (28.7), p  < 0.0001; 17.1 ± 3.61 (17) vs. 13.02 ± 3.01 (13), p  < 0.0001, respectively). Total Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised score was significantly decreased in the presence of genital warts (23.82 ± 9.73 (23) vs. 8.8 ± 7.38 (6), p  < 0.0001). Significant correlations were found between the total Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised score and the total Female Sexual Function Index score, and the Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale score ( r  = −0.78, p  < 0.0001; r  = 0.68, p  < 0.0001, respectively). This study revealed that genital warts have significantly unfavorable effects on sexuality in adolescence leading to sexual dysfunction as well as sexuality-related distress. Regarding to the present findings, promoting sexual health in addition to physical well-being may increase success in clinical management of genital warts.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 23
ISSN:0955-9930
1476-5489
DOI:10.1038/s41443-021-00478-9