Nearly 60% of Singapore women have low sexual function, says KKH in new study
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Nearly sixty% of Singapore women take low sexual function, says KKH in new study
In the first of CNA Women's series of stories on painful sex, we look at the prevalence of female person sexual dysfunction in Singapore and how this tin worsen the country'south declining birth rate.
Sexual dysfunction is a "significant public wellness problem" across the world, researchers warn. (Photo: iStock/William Chua)
Nearly sixty per cent of the Singapore women surveyed in a starting time-of-its-kind study led by KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) experienced depression sexual function – an indicator that they were at take chances of developing sexual dysfunction.
These women were likewise less likely to try to conceive and would accept a longer fourth dimension to go pregnant, the hospital said.
The study, published in June this yr, examined more than than 500 women in Singapore who were in the reproductive historic period group – betwixt xviii and 45 years – and were attempting to conceive within the year.
The women were instructed to rate their personal sexual experiences in half-dozen areas: Want, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction and hurting. Each question provided a score from zero to v, whose sum yielded a full score ranging from two to xxx.
The researchers said that those with total scores at or below the median value of 22 were adamant to have low sexual function, and said to be at risk of sexual dysfunction – divers equally having persistent recurrent bug during sex activity, including pain.
Every bit role of the report, the women were also interviewed on their personal details including age, ethnicity and marital condition, pregnancy history and lifestyle habits, and had their physical activity and mental health assessed.
They were and then provided with home pregnancy tests and were followed up with for up to 1 yr as they attempted to conceive.
Results showed that 58.half-dozen per cent of Asian women in Singapore displayed scores of less than 22, suggesting they're at risk of female sexual dysfunction.
Amongst the six items of sexual disorders examined, depression sexual desire and rarely reaching orgasm were more commonly reported in these women, the written report revealed.
The report also establish that compared to women with high sexual office, those with low sexual function saw their chances of conceiving within the twelvemonth drop by 27 per cent.
This drib can be attributed to these women having less sex due to "unpleasant sexual feel and difficulties with intimacy", said researchers.
Psychological distress can also trigger hormonal imbalance, interfering with ovulation and thus delaying pregnancy, they added.
"A Significant PUBLIC HEALTH Trouble"
The report came amidst an increase in Singapore in the reported charge per unit of female sexual dysfunction – a phenomenon that has also been observed globally.
It affects many women in the reproductive age group, with more than 40 per cent suffering from it across the world, making information technology a "significant public health problem", the study noted.
KKH said that in the concluding 3 years, the Sexual Wellness Clinic operated under its Women's Health and Wellness Centre has been managing an average of 90 new cases of the status annually.
The nigh common form of female person sexual dysfunction is vaginismus, said the hospital.
Vaginismus is a status in which the muscles in the vagina tighten involuntarily and prevent whatever objects from entering the vagina. This affects vaginal intercourse and vaginal medical examinations during gynaecology and fertility assessments and treatments.
Last twelvemonth, fifty-fifty amid the COVID-nineteen pandemic and when hospital visits for non-life-threatening conditions were affected, the Sexual Wellness Dispensary at KKH saw 100 new cases of vaginismus, a 60 per cent jump from the figure in 2017.
The hospital said this could be because of increased awareness surrounding sexual dysfunction besides as where people could seek help for information technology.
Other hospitals also reported a regular stream of patients struggling with vaginismus, likewise equally dyspareunia, which is the status specific to painful penetration during sexual intercourse.
Dr Kelly Loi, an obstetrician and gynaecologist, and a medical director at the Mount Elizabeth Fertility Centre, said she sees effectually two to four couples weekly who are seeking fertility handling as they are unable to take sexual practice frequently due to dyspareunia. She sees two to four couples a calendar month who are unable to achieve penetrative sex due to vaginismus.
"With dyspareunia, sexual activity is possible only painful and uncomfortable. However, with vaginismus, penetrative sex is entirely non possible every bit in that location is a psychological fear of pain," said Dr Loi.
The pain that results from vaginismus is "very distressing and in severe cases, tin lead to not-consummation of marriages", she said.
More FOCUS ON SEXUAL Health
If unresolved, female sexual dysfunction affects the mental and physical wellness, relationship and quality of life for both the woman and her partner. It is as well a primal barrier to conception and procreation, said KKH.
The written report affirms that low sexual office amidst local women could play "a major part" in contributing to Singapore's low fertility rate, said Dr Tan Tse Yeun, consultant at KKH's Department of Reproductive Medicine.
Singapore's fertility rate was ane.1 in 2022 – among the lowest in the globe. Just Puerto Rico and South Korea reported a lower rate at 1.0 and 0.9 respectively. Hong Kong and Malta also reported a fertility rate of i.1, according to figures published by The World Banking company.
"If this problem persists, it could contribute towards the already declining national birth charge per unit," Dr Tan added.
In view of this, more attention needs to be given to evaluating a woman's sexual experience every bit part of preconception intendance programmes, the study suggested.
This provides an opportunity to "intervene and resolve sexual dysfunction issues with women and their partners early", resulting in better health and quality of life for women, with "potential benign result on pregnancy outcomes", researchers said.
KKH has "recognised this unmet clinical need" for preconception care services, said its doctors, and are putting in place a comprehensive intendance bundle that aims to optimise women's sexual health as well as overall health before formulation.
"This approach seeks to optimise both fertility and pregnancy health for the all-time starting time in life for future generations of children," said Dr Tan.
Last week, KKH launched the SingHealth Knuckles-NUS Maternal and Kid Health Inquiry Institute, where information technology announced the intendance package called Salubrious Early Life Moments in Singapore, or HELMS.
KKH senior consultant Professor Jerry Chan described HELMS every bit a "new model of care" that applies to a woman's metabolic, mental and sexual health. It will adopt a "life course approach in that the woman will be followed from preconception, through pregnancy and later the baby is born".
More details about HELMS will exist made available shortly, he said.
"Educating women about sexual wellbeing and sexuality problems, de-stigmatising and normalising these topics as well equally encouraging more discussions and conversations volition get a long way in encouraging better sexual experience in women," said Caroline Chua, a senior principal physiotherapist at KKH.
KKH primary psychologist Cheong Xinyi agreed, adding that providing avenues as well equally "clearer and more timely data" about where to seek help for sexual health bug would too be useful.
"To this stop, healthcare professionals are encouraged to consider sexual health functioning equally function of general wellbeing rather than a separate result," said Cheong.
Such efforts will encourage women with female sexual dysfunction to come frontward and seek handling early on, thereby improving outcomes, the doctors said.
The study tin can exist institute here.
Editor's annotation: The KKH study was conducted between 2022 and 2018, and published in June 2021. The story has been updated to reflect this.
CNA Women is a new section on CNA Lifestyle that seeks to inform, empower and inspire the modernistic adult female. If you lot take women-related news, issues and ideas to share with u.s., email CNAWomen [at] mediacorp.com.sg .
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