Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2025

Measuring Engagement of Spectators of Social Digital Games
Published on: July 3, 2021
Sexual dysfunction in women with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and hypermobility spectrum disorders: an online
Emily Fuster1, Omid Mirmosayyeb1, Svetlana Blitshteyn1,2
1Department of Neurology, University of Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY, USA.
Objectives:
Hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (h-EDS) are connective tissue disorders associated with joint hypermobility, pain, fatigue and autonomic dysfunction. We sought to assess sexual function in women with h-EDS/HSD.
Methods:
In this cross-sectional community-based case-control study, women with h-EDS/HSD completed the following online questionnaires: Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), 31-item Composite Autonomic Symptom Score (COMPASS-31), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and an additional short form with questions pertaining to comorbidities and sexual activity. Scores were compared with those of healthy female controls.
Results:
A total of 84 women with h-EDS/HSD [mean age 37.1 years (s.d. 8.4)] and 75 healthy women [mean age 29.79 years (s.d. 5.38)] completed the questionnaires. Of these, 75% were diagnosed with h-EDS, 25% with HSD and 58% had concurrent postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. A majority of women with h-EDS/HSD (52%) did not engage in any sexual activity, and only 25% reported having sexual intercourse with a partner in the past 6 months. The mean COMPASS-31 score was 51.5 (s.d. 13.8), mean BDI-II score was 24.6 (s.d. 11.4) and mean FSFI score was 15.3 (s.d. 7.9) in the patient group. Compared with healthy controls, women with h-EDS/HSD had decreased FSFI scores in the subdomains of desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm and sexual satisfaction. Neither BDI-II nor COMPASS-31 scores were predictive of the FSFI score.
Conclusion:
Compared with healthy women, we found significant sexual dysfunction in women with h-EDS/HSD, which did not correlate with depressive or autonomic symptoms in this cohort. Given its health implications, sexual dysfunction represents a significant unmet need that calls for development of targeted diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in the care of women with h-EDS/HSD.
More Related Videos
09:18Measurements of Motor Function and Other Clinical Outcome Parameters in Ambulant Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Published on: January 12, 2019
06:18An In Vivo Estrogen Deficiency Mouse Model for Screening Exogenous Estrogen Treatments of Cardiovascular Dysfunction After Menopause
Published on: August 13, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Disorders of the Male Reproductive System
Prostate disorders are another major concern. These conditions can impair urinary flow due to the prostate's location around the urethra....
Disorders of the Female Reproductive System
Desmosomes
Male Sexual Response: Erection & Ejaculation
The blood filling the erectile tissues compresses the veins, which helps to prevent blood from leaving...
Cross-bridge Cycle
Disorders of the Autonomic Nervous System
Raynaud's disease, also known as Raynaud's...