Sexual dysfunction in women with migraine versus tension-type headaches: a comparative study

The aim of this study was to compare the incidence of sexual dysfunction between patients with tension-type headaches (T), migraines (M) and healthy controls (C) in order to investigate the relationship between sexual dysfunction and the features of headaches. The population comprised of 44 patients with M, 30 with T and 30 with C. They have completed Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX), Visual Analog Scale. The number of sexual activities over the past 30 days and the frequency of masturbation behavior in C were considerably higher than those in the headache groups. The averages for ASEX item no. 1, 2, 3 and 4 were significantly higher in those with M versus C; and both the subscales and total scores of ASEX were also higher in those with T than C. The mean score for ASEX item no. 3 and the total ASEX score were significantly higher in T versus M. In both headache groups, no significant relationship was observed between headache features and ASEX. The present study showed that patients with either M or T do experience problems in several aspects of sexuality compared with C. Further research is essential to augment our understanding of the sexual dysfunction in this field. International Journal of Impotence Research (2011) 23, 122-127; doi:10.1038/ijir.2011.16; published online 26 May 2011