SEXUAL QUALITY OF LIFE AND MARITAL ADJUSTMENT IN WOMEN WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS: A CASE-CONTROL STUDY

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the quality of sexual life and marital adjustment in women with endometriosis.

Method: This study was conducted as a case-control study. Within the scope of the research, 75 women with endometriosis (case group) and 75 without endometriosis (control group) were interviewed. Data were collected by using “Participant Description Questionnaire”, “The Sexual Quality of Life-Female (SQOL-F)” and “Marital Adjustment Test (MAT)”. The data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 package program. Independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance-ANOVA and Pearson correlation test were used in the comparison of variables.

Results: In this study, women in the case group were 35.4±6.8 years old on average and were married for 10.9±7.9 years. The women in the control group were 32.3±5.9 years old on average and were married for 10.1±7.2 years. There was a statistically significant difference in terms of the SQOL-F total score averages of the women in the case and control groups (p<0.05). It was found a negative, statistically significant relationship was found between the total SQOL-F total score and the severity of dyspareunia in the case group (r=-0.323, p<0.05). A statistically significant positive correlation was found between the SQOL-F total score and the MAT total score of the women in both groups (r=0.504, p<0.001).

Conclusion: It was determined that the sexual life quality of women with endometriosis within the scope of the study was lower than women without endometriosis. It was determined that as the severity of dyspareunia of women with endometriosis increased, their sexual life quality decreased. In addition, it has been observed that as the quality of sexual life increases in women, marital adjustment also increases.

Keywords: Endometriosis, sexual quality of life, marital adjustment