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A multivariate twin study of female sexual dysfunction.
Andrea Burri1, Corina Greven, Myriam Leupin
1Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, UK. andrea.burri@kcl.ac.uk
The Journal of Sexual Medicine
|August 7, 2012
Summary
Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) has complex genetic and environmental causes. Findings suggest at least two genetic factors influence FSD symptoms, with non-shared environmental factors playing a larger role in specific sexual problems.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Medicine
- Genetics
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) lacks comprehensive etiological understanding, hindering classification and treatment.
- Clarifying causative mechanisms is crucial for advancing psychiatric nosology and understanding FSD heterogeneity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the genetic and environmental risk factor structure across major female sexual dysfunction subtypes.
- To elucidate the etiological underpinnings of FSD for improved classification.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a population-based adult twin register (TwinsUK, London) with 1,489 female twins (aged 18-85).
- Employed self-report questionnaires assessing the Female Sexual Function Index-Lifelong (FSFI-L) across six dimensions.
- Applied multivariate variance component analysis (ACE Cholesky model) to twin data.
Main Results:
- Identified significant additive genetic effects and non-shared environmental influences across four FSD dimensions.
- Revealed genetic sharing among desire, arousal, lubrication, and orgasm, with distinct genetic links between arousal, lubrication, and orgasm independent of desire.
- Genetic loadings ranged from 7% to 33%, with non-shared environmental effects being stronger and more dimension-specific than genetic effects.
Conclusions:
- Female sexual dysfunction is not etiologically uniform, with evidence for at least two underlying genetic factors.
- Non-shared environmental factors appear more critical in differentiating specific FSD symptoms.
- Genetic factors may serve as organizing principles for developing an etiologically-based FSD classification system.
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