Symptoms of female sexual arousal disorder

Symptoms of female sexual arousal disorder | Image Credit: © Kzenon - © Kzenon - stock.adobe.com.

Daré Bioscience has published a patient-centered study explaining symptoms and symptom severity of female sexual arousal disorder (FSAD) in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.¹

The publication was titled, “Symptoms and associated impact in pre-and postmenopausal women with sexual arousal disorder: a concept elicitation study.” It reported on a content validation study on the severity, bother, and impact on quality of life of FSAD symptoms in premenopausal and postmenopausal women.

The study was conducted for the identification and documentation of genital arousal symptoms which need treatment in women with FSAD. It was completed before a Phase 2b RESPOND clinical study of Sildenafil Cream which is projected to publish topline data in the second quarter of 2023 and helped facilitate FDA endpoint alignments with the Phase 2b and future Phase 3 trials.

There were 23 premenopausal and 13 postmenopausal women with a clinical diagnosis of FSAD in the analysis.² These participants underwent in-depth, qualitative, semistructured concept elicitation interviews which were recorded and transcribed by a professional transcription company.

A NVivo qualitative analysis software was used to perform thematic analysis. Outcomes included qualitative interview data about FSAD symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), with comparisons made between premenopausal and postmenopausal women.

"Inability or difficulty with orgasm" was the most common symptom, reported in 21 premenopausal and 13 postmenopausal women. Lubrication was the symptom premenopausal women most wanted treated, while a lack of lubrication and loss of feeling was the symptom postmenopausal women most wanted treated.

A lack of genital sensation was reported by 21 of 23 premenopausal women and all 13 postmenopausal women. Decreased confidence was the most common HRQoL impact in both groups.

FSAD impacts 26% of adult women in the United States. Prior to this study, there was little data comparing the effects of FSAD in premenopausal vs postmenopausal women. These results indicate similar experiences in both groups of women, showing an equal unmet need for FSAD treatment.

Reference

1. Daré Bioscience Announces Availability of Publication on the Patient-Centered Concept Elicitation Study for Female Sexual Arousal Disorder in The Journal of Sexual Medicine. Daré Bioscience. May 31, 2023. Accessed May 31, 2023. https://ir.darebioscience.com/news-releases/news-release-details/dare-bioscience-announces-availability-publication-patient

2. Symonds T, Kingsberg SA, Simon JA. Symptoms and associated impact in pre- and postmenopausal women with sexual arousal disorder: a concept elicitation study. J Sex Med. 2023;20(3):277-286. doi:10.1093/jsxmed/qdac04