INTRODUCTION:
Female
sexual dysfunction affects up to 43% of women in the United States and
hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) is the most common type; however, we
lack treatment options showing improvement for this condition.
AIMS:
To
investigate whether acupuncture therapy could improve HSDD.
METHODS:
Premenopausal
women with a primary diagnosis of HSDD were included in a single-arm
prospective pilot study that was approved by the institutional review board.
After providing informed consent, subjects completed validated questionnaires.
Participants underwent 25-minute twice-weekly acupuncture sessions for 5 weeks
with one certified acupuncturist. Questionnaires were completed again 6 weeks
after onset of treatment.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
Based
on a statistically significant change in the desire domain of the Female Sexual
Function Index from 2.0 (at baseline) to 2.4 (after intervention with a
specialist) in our population of patients diagnosed with HSDD, a sample of 13
was determined, with 90% power and α 0.05.
RESULTS:
Fifteen
women were enrolled and 13 completed the study. Mean age was 36.9 ± 11.4 years.
Most were white (n = 9, 60%), heterosexual (n = 15, 100%), and
non-smokers (n = 14, 93%). Most were sexually active more than four times
per month (n = 8, 53%) and none had a history of sexual abuse (n =
15, 100%). Participants received a mean acupuncture needle application of 17 ±
2 at each session. Sexual function improved after intervention, particularly
desire (2.1 ± 0.6 to 3.3 ± 1.2, P < .0001), arousal (P < .0001),
lubrication (P = .03), and orgasm (P = .005).
CONCLUSION:
In
this cohort of premenopausal women with HSDD, 5 weeks of
acupuncture therapy was associated with significant improvements in sexual
function, particularly desire. This supports a role for acupuncture as a
therapeutic option for women with low desire.
1Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery,
Good Samaritan Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, USA. Electronic address:
susan.oakley@stelizabeth.com.
2Acupuncture and Holistic Health, TriHealth,
Cincinnati, OH, USA.
3Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery,
Good Samaritan Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Sex Med. 2016 Mar
28. pii: S2050-1161(16)00032-5. doi: 10.1016/j.esxm.2016.02.005. [Epub ahead of
print]
No comments:
Post a Comment