What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate the association between anxiety levels and the presence of female sexual dysfunction among Portuguese university students.

June 6, 2026

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(826) Anxiety and Female Sexual Dysfunction in University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

PBP BarbosaUnidade Hospitalar de Bragança JVJ VilaçaUniversity of Minho CNC Nogueira-SilvaAdministração Regional de Saúde de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo

Key Points

To evaluate the association between anxiety levels and the presence of female sexual dysfunction among Portuguese university students.
Cross-sectional study of 398 female university students
Sexual function assessed using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI)
Anxiety symptoms measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety subscale (HADS-A), using ANOVA and multivariate logistic regression
Prevalence of female sexual dysfunction was 49.2%
Participants with moderate/severe anxiety had lower FSFI scores across all domains (p < 0.05)
Anxiety was an independent predictor of FSD, with OR for mild anxiety 2.298 (95% CI [1.256–4.205]; p = 0.007) and for moderate/severe anxiety 2.765 (95% CI [1.553–4.921]; p < 0.001)

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is common among young women and has a significant impact on quality of life. Anxiety has been identified as one of the main psychosocial factors contributing to its etiology. However, the association between anxiety and FSD remains underexplored, particularly in younger populations such as university students. Objective To evaluate the association between anxiety levels and the presence of FSD among Portuguese university students. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted including 398 female university students. Sexual function was assessed using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and anxiety symptoms were measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety subscale (HADS-A). ANOVA tests with Tukey post hoc analyses and multivariate logistic regression were performed. FSD was defined as a total FSFI score ≤ 26.55. Results The prevalence of FSD was 49.2%. Statistically significant differences were observed between anxiety levels and all FSFI domains (p 0.05). Participants with moderate/severe anxiety scored lower in desire (3.54 vs. 4.08), arousal (3.92 vs. 4.56), lubrication (4.21 vs. 4.68), orgasm (3.63 vs. 4.19), satisfaction (4.43 vs. 4.85), pain (3.91 vs. 4.57), and total FSFI (23.64 vs. 26.93; p 0.001). In multivariate regression, anxiety remained an independent predictor of FSD: mild anxiety (OR = 2.298; 95% CI 1.256–4.205; p = 0.007) and moderate/severe anxiety (OR = 2.765; 95% CI 1.553–4.921; p 0.001). Being in a relationship was a protective factor (OR = 0.251; p 0.001), while increasing age was associated with a higher risk of FSD (OR = 1.126; p = 0.005). Conclusions Anxiety was found to be an independent predictor of female sexual dysfunction, with a significant effect even at mild levels. These findings support the integration of mental health assessment into the evaluation of female sexual function, particularly in academic settings. Disclosure No

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Cite This Study

Barbosa et al. (Mon,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a23ba8771a5da9775e76305 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/jsxmed/qdag118.718

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