Background: Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is a common under reported problem with significant impact on inter personal relationships and quality of life of women. In Asian countries studying female sexuality in marital relationships is important to determine the true extent of the problem and deliver proper treatment.

Aim: To study female sexual dysfunction in relation to marital satisfaction in Indian women.

Materials and Methods: 150 married healthy Indian women were administered Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and Female sexual distress scale- revised (FSDS-R) to determine the extent of sexual dysfunction in these women. Locke Wallace marital satisfaction scale was given to find out the association between sexual dysfunction and marital satisfaction.

Results: 11 (7.33%) women were diagnosed to suffer from FSD. Younger age and lesser duration of marriage were associated with the development of sexual dysfunction. Orgasmic difficulty (53.33%) was the most common form of dysfunction reported by our sample, followed by trouble with arousal (24%) and lack of desire (19.33%).Subjects with FSD reported a significantly lower marital satisfaction than those without FSD.

Conclusion: Though sexual difficulty is common in Indian women, distress is less common. Without relational and cultural context epidemiological studies on sexual dysfunction especially in India are inadequate.

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Dr Harshavardhan Sampath

Department of Psychiatry.Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences, Gangtok

Phone number -9894967703, Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.