Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Sexual dysfunction is a particular pathology with relative high prevalence, often underestimated in general population. It’s manifest as an impairment of sexual desire, orgasm, sexual excitement or pain related to intercourse. Although often recognize a psychogenic cause, sexual dysfunction are found also in various systemic diseases more or less related to changes of sexual hormones. Thyroid pathology, particularly hyper and hypothyroidism, with high frequency in women, causes problems with sexual performance related with changes of unbound sex hormone and individual response to organic disease.

Materials and methods: Were analyzed 20 women with hyperthyroidism and 30 women with hypothyroidism, admitted in Endocrinology Clinics of Cluj-Napoca. Through history were established menstrual cycle disorders and disorders of sexual function quality based on a questionnaire completed by each patient voluntarily. Also hormonal determinations were performed to examine thyroid and ovarian function.

Results: In the group with hyperthyroidism we obtained a frequency of 40% of sexual dysfunction. Regarding menstrual cycle disorders, there was a relatively uniform distribution, without significant quantitatively changes between the group with amenorrhea, bradimenorrhea and polymenorrhea. In 20% of cases were reported no menstrual disorders.

In the hypothyroidism group we achieved a higher frequency of sexual disorders 53.3%, compared with the group with hyperthyroidism, with the same uniform distribution in terms of menstrual disorders. In 20% of cases with sexual dysfunction, the disorders of orgasm, arousal and sexual desire were reported only after the thyroid disease debut.

Conclusions: Sexual dysfunction is more common in women with hypothyroidism compared to those with hyperthyroidism.

For both groups most affected disorders of sexual dysfunction were orgasm and sexual arousal.

In hypothyroidism, low FT₄ level and increased PRL influence sexual activity in women.

Menstrual cycle disorders are more common in the group with hyperthyroidism, directly related to testosterone surge.