EXPERTS in a study said that 71.4% of women living with HIV in southwest Nigeria experienced s3xual dysfunction, indicating that HIV infection is associated with high s3xual dysfunction and thus deserves close attention.
They stated that s3xual dysfunction is a significant public health challenge among HIV-positive women in Nigeria, and the national HIV programme, as a matter of urgency, should include screening and treatment of s3xual dysfunctions among HIV-positive women in the country’s treatment guidelines.
In the study, the researchers explore the prevalence, pattern, and risk factors of sexual dysfunction among women living with HIV in southwest Nigeria and reported issues with desire (76.8%), arousal (66.0%), orgasm (50.0%), pain (47.2%), lubrication (47.2%), and satisfaction (38.8%).
The study, titled “S3xual dysfunction among Nigerian women living with HIV infection” and published in PLOS ONE, involved 2926 adult women living with HIV at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, a large, publicly funded tertiary HIV treatment centre in Lagos.
It utilised the Female S3xual Function Index (FSFI) to assess dysfunction across six domains: desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain in women who were older than 18 years and were HIV-positive for more than six months.
The researchers reported key medical and psychosocial elements for s3xual dysfunction among Nigerian women living with HIV infection to include menopause, high Patient Depression Question (PHQ) scores, co-existing medical conditions, use of protease-based antiretroviral drug regimens, and non-disclosure of HIV status.
They urged that the National HIV programmes, in addition to incorporating screening and management of s3xual dysfunction in the guidelines, should sensitise and train health workers on the detection and treatment of s3xual dysfunction.
This study highlights the significant burden of s3xual dysfunction within the HIV-positive population in Nigeria, and it is a concern, particularly when considered against the backdrop of the already high prevalence (63%) of s3xual dysfunction among women in general in the country.
Numerous studies in sub-Saharan Africa and other parts of the world have examined the health-related quality of life in HIV-infected persons, with most studies emphasising the physical, mental, and social aspects of quality of life while leaving out the s3xual function component.
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