Effects of hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, and thyroid autoimmunity on female sexual function

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Sexual Medicine
• Women's Health

Background:

• Thyroid hormones play a crucial role in regulating both male and female sexual functions.
• Limited data exist on the specific impact of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism on sexual function in women.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate sexual function in women with hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and euthyroid Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT).
• To assess changes in sexual function before and after restoring euthyroidism.
• To compare sexual function in patients with thyroid disease to healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• The study included 56 women with thyroid diseases and 30 age-matched healthy controls.
• Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) was used to assess sexual desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and sexual pain (SPD).
• Thyroid function tests (TSH, FT4) and thyroid autoantibodies were measured at diagnosis and post-treatment.

Main Results:

• Both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism significantly reduced all domains of sexual function.
• Restoring euthyroidism improved desire, satisfaction, and pain in hypothyroid women, while arousal and orgasm remained affected.
• Hyperthyroid women showed normalized desire, arousal/lubrication, satisfaction, and pain post-treatment, but orgasm remained impaired.
• Euthyroid women with HT exhibited significantly decreased sexual desire, independent of thyroid function.

Conclusions:

• Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism significantly impair female sexual function.
• Restoration of euthyroidism leads to rapid, though potentially incomplete, improvement in sexual function.
• Thyroid autoimmunity, as seen in euthyroid HT, may specifically affect sexual desire, irrespective of thyroid hormone levels.