Sexual function in women of fertile age with epilepsy.

PURPOSE: To evaluate Sexual Function Scores in women of childbearing age with epilepsy. METHOD: Cross-sectional study and comparison of two groups, one with and the other without epilepsy. The instruments used were: semi-structured socioeconomic, demographic and clinical questionnaire; Beck Anxiety and Depression Inventories; Word Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-brief); Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI); and Female Genital Self Image Scale (FGSIS). Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher's Exact Test, Chi-Square, Mann-Whitney, and Spearman's Correlation, considering p < 0.05 as a measure of significance. RESULTS: 110 women were included (55 with epilepsy and 55 without epilepsy) with a mean age of 32 years. Both groups had sexual dysfunction (with epilepsy: 19.28 vs. without epilepsy: 21.05; p = 0.416). There was no significant difference between groups in the analysis of self-image of the genitalia, Quality of Life, or Anxiety. However, there was a statistical difference in Depression Symptoms (with epilepsy: 11.44 vs. without epilepsy:13.82, p = 0.038). When evaluating the influence of epilepsy on sexual function score, women who used enzyme-inducing drugs had worse scores in desire domain (5.21 vs. 6.65; p = 0.020) and lubrication domain (9.48 vs. 12.95; p = 0.047) when compared to women who used non-enzyme-inducing drugs, respectively. In the correlation of Sexual Function with Anxiety, Depression, Quality of Life, and Self-Image of the genitalia, it was observed that when Depression levels increase, desire is impaired [-0.273(p = 0.043)]. In Quality of Life, the psychological [0.311(p = 0.021)] and environmental [0.268(p = 0.048)] domains positively influenced desire. The social relationships domain improved desire [0.504(p = 0.000)], excitement [0.461(p = 0.000)], lubrication [0.342(p = 0.011)], orgasm [0.425(p = 0.001)], satisfaction [0.449(p = 0.001)], and decreased pain [0.402(p = 0.002)]. Consequently, these influence appeared to improve sexual function [0.521(p = 0.000)]. CONCLUSION: Women of childbearing age with epilepsy have sexual dysfunction. The presence of signs of depression and the use of enzyme-inducing drugs must be carefully analyzed, as they can worsen the sexual function score. Health professionals need to be aware that sexual dysfunction must be investigated because this issue influences the quality of life of these women.

Quality of life among women with epilepsy during their reproductive years.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of women with epilepsy during their reproductive years. METHOD: A cross-sectional study comparing two groups, one with and another without epilepsy, was conducted. Semistructure questionnaires regarding socioeconomic, demographic, and clinical profiles were used. The HRQoL was measured using the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory (QOLIE-31), for comparison within the group with epilepsy, and World Health Organization of Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-bref, for comparison between the groups with and without epilepsy. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher's exact test, Mann-Whitney test, and multivariate linear regression. A measure of significance was considered as p < 0.05. RESULTS: Eighty women were included (40 with epilepsy and 40 without epilepsy) with mean age of 28.2 ±â€¯6.51 years. Women of childbearing age with epilepsy tend to have lower quality of life than those without epilepsy (with epilepsy: 85.15 ±â€¯13.50 vs. without epilepsy: 90.75 ±â€¯12.17, p = 0.051). The groups were similar in relation to most sociodemographic characteristics, with the exception of the percentage of women with epilepsy outside the labor market (with epilepsy: 57.5% vs. without epilepsy: 30%, p = 0.012) and with clinical (with epilepsy: 27.5% vs. without epilepsy: 7.5%, p = 0.018) and psychiatric comorbidities (with epilepsy: 20% vs. without epilepsy: 0%, p = 0.003). However, logistic regression showed no influence of these variables on the HRQoL of women with epilepsy. The clinical variables associated with the worsening of HRQoL were seizure control and antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) adverse effects. CONCLUSION: Epilepsy has a negative impact on the HRQoL of women of childbearing age, and the clinical variables controlling seizures and adverse effects of AEDs influenced HRQoL in this population.