The interaction between anxiety and sexual functioning: A controlled study of sexual functioning in women with anxiety disorders

A controlled study on the sexual functioning of women with anxiety disorders is presented. A literature review is given of both the experimental findings on the influence of anxiety in sexually (dys)functional women and clinical research findings regarding the sexual functioning of women with anxiety disorders. The sexual functioning of women with panic disorder (n=27) or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) (n=17) and their male partners was evaluated in comparison with that of controls (n=34). Self-report instruments regarding sexual dysfunctions, sexual satisfaction, marital functioning and psychopathology were used. Both women with panic disorder and those with obsessive compulsive disorder were found to have lower sexual desire and lower frequency of sexual contact than controls. In addition, a hypoactive sexual desire disorder and a sexual aversion disorder were more frequently found in anxiety patients than in controls. OCD patients reported more sexual dysfunctions in total and were less satisfied with their sex lives than panic disorder patients and controls. Findings from experimental studies that anxiety may enhance the sexual response could not be replicated in a clinical population. Instead, it seems that patients with anxiety disorders are more at risk of sexual dysfunctions that 'normal' people. It is likely that sexual dysfunction is related to avoidance. Therefore, sexual behaviour should be taken into account in the treatment of anxiety disorder. Further research should focus on experiments involving the sexual responsiveness of patients with anxiety disorders.