Study of sexual function alterations in women with spinal cord injuries in the city of Ribeirao Preto, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

It is known that a person who has suffered a spinal cord injury, in addition to sensitivity, locomotion, intestinal and urinary function impairment, regardless of the injury location, must also face sexual function impairment. Each person reacts differently, no matter how similar the injuries can be. The present study, which was an exploratory, descriptive, transversal, applied field study of quantitative nature, was carried out in three hospitals and two physical therapy clinics in the city of Ribeirao Preto, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, with the objective of evaluating women with spinal cord injuries treated from January 1, 2000 to July 31, 2004. The study population consisted of 81 women. Thirty women were excluded as they did not meet the inclusion criteria: 12 of them had diagnoses that were not related to spinal cord injury, 11 could not be located, 6 died and one refused to participate in the study. Age range in which the spinal cord injury predominated was 18 to 37 years (38%). After the injury, 27% remained single, 28% remained with their partners; regarding the degree of schooling, Grade School predominated (49%) and 9% were illiterate. They presented traumatic etiology (100%) at the lumbar level (53%), followed by cervical (27%), thoracic (16%) and sacral (4%) levels. Of the external causes of the injury, car accident (29%) was the most prevalent, followed by falls (12%), firearm injury, weight lifting, being hit by a car, and motorcycle accident (8% each), shallow-water diving and being beaten up (2% each), and knife injury, sports activities, fall of object on the head, practicing radical sports and fall from one’s height added up to 16% of the women and among them, 94% are elderly. The “Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire” (CSFQ) scale showed that 90% of the sample presented sexual dysfunction regarding the sexual pleasure variable, orgasm dysfunction (90%), desire/frequency dysfunction (76%), sexual interest dysfunction (72%) and arousal dysfunction (92%). This study confirmed that the patient with spinal cord injury presents specific complexities and particularities and that the scarcity of studies on the specific sexuality of women with spinal cord injuries does not offer a specific care that encompasses the social, psychological and physical dimensions, as well as the continuing homecare, establishing a rehabilitation process without quality.