Sexual satisfaction and sexual drive in spinal cord injured women

Levels of sexual satisfaction and sexual drive in women with spinal cord injuries were examined. Eighty-four spinal cord injured (SCI) women and thirty-seven able-bodied (AB) control subjects completed the Derogatis Sexual Functioning Inventory which measured current level of sexual functioning in 10 areas: information, experience, drive, attitude, psychological symptoms, affect, gender role definition, fantasy, body image, and sexual satisfaction. When compared with AB women, SCI women had significantly lower levels of sexual satisfaction and sexual drive and significantly higher levels of psychological symptoms and negative affect. Among SCI women, sexual satisfaction decreased significantly with age. Among AB women, sexual satisfaction increased significantly with age. Married SCI women were no longer less sexually satisfied than AB women. Results support conclusions from previous self-report studies in which significant decreases in sexual satisfaction and drive were reported for SCI women. Implications for continued research on the psychological and physiological aspects of sexuality and sexual functioning in SCI women are discussed.