PREDICTIVE VALUE OF PSYCHIATRIC HISTORY, GENITAL PAIN AND MENSTRUAL SYMPTOMS FOR SEXUALITY AFTER HYSTERECTOMY

Objective. To study the predictive value of the history of genital pai n, psychiatric complaints and menstrual symptoms on a woman's sexual l ife before and after subtotal hysterectomy. Material and method. One h undred and four premenopausal women were interviewed one month before and one year after surgery. A latent variable for pre- and postoperati ve sexuality was constructed from the intercorrelation between the mea sured parameters of frequency of desire for sex, coital frequency, cyc licity of desire and existence of multiple orgasm, and other variables for genital pain, psychiatric morbidity and menstrual symptoms were c ompared to the latent factors for sexuality. Results. No difference wa s seen in postoperative sexuality in women with and without a history of psychiatric complaints. The regular use of analgetics, a need to st ay home from work because of menstruation, and the occurrence of dyspa reunia were positively correlated to the latent factors for sexuality before and after the operation. A history of the need to use psychopha rmaceuticals, such as sedatives or antidepressants, had a negative inf luence on preoperative, but not on postoperative sexuality. Dysmenorrh ea had a positive influence on postoperative, but not on preoperative, sexuality. Conclusion. Among variables studied, dysmenorrhea was the best predictor for postoperative sexuality. That is: women with dysmen orrhea do not only invariably experience relief from the pain, but als o have a chance to improve their sexual lives after removal of their m alfunctioning uterus. Presence of psychiatric problems had, in general , little influence on sexuality.