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Iron deficiency and sexual dysfunction in women.

Sexual medicine reviews
January 1, 1970
Maurizio Serati et al. (4 authors)
ReviewJournal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to explore the relationship between iron deficiency and sexual dysfunction in women and assess the effectiveness of oral iron supplementation in improving sexual function.

Results Summary

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in women, often caused by abnormal uterine bleeding, was linked to sexual dysfunction. Oral iron supplementation, particularly ferrous sulphate and prolonged-release formulations, improved sexual function in women with IDA.

Population

Adult women with iron deficiency anemia and sexual dysfunction.

Effective Dosage

Not specified (ferrous sulphate and prolonged-release formulations mentioned).

Duration

Not specified.

Interactions

None mentioned.

Extracted Claims (3)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
oral iron supplementation
increase
sexual function
women with IDA
-
has been shown to improve
#1
prolonged-release iron formulations
increase
tolerability
-
-
have improved
#2
prolonged-release iron formulations
decrease
lower doses
-
-
enabling
#3
Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Sexual dysfunction negatively affects approximately 40% to 50% of adult women across various stages of life. Common risk factors include sexual traumas, relationship problems, chronic conditions, medication side effects, and poor physical health, including iron deficiency. OBJECTIVES: This review summarizes a presentation from a symposium that discussed the types and causes of sexual dysfunction at key times in women's lives, focusing on the relationship between iron deficiency and sexual dysfunction. METHODS: The symposium was held at the XV Annual European Urogynaecological Association Congress, Antibes, France, in October 2022. Symposium content was identified through literature searches of PubMed. Original research, review articles, and Cochrane analyses discussing sexual dysfunction in association with iron deficiency/anemia were included. RESULTS: Iron deficiency in women is commonly caused by abnormal uterine bleeding, but women may develop iron deficiency anemia (IDA) because of increased iron needs or reduced iron intake/absorption. Treatment with oral iron supplementation has been shown to improve sexual function in women with IDA. Ferrous sulphate is considered as a standard of care for oral iron treatment; prolonged-release iron formulations have improved tolerability, enabling lower doses and better tolerability. CONCLUSION: IDA and sexual dysfunction are related, so the identification of sexual dysfunction or iron deficiency in a woman should prompt an investigation of the other condition. Testing for iron deficiency is an inexpensive and simple step that can be routinely included in the workup of women with sexual dysfunction. Once identified, IDA and sexual dysfunction in women should be treated and followed to optimize quality of life.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AdultFemaleHumansQuality of LifeIronIron DeficienciesAnemia, Iron-DeficiencySexual Dysfunction, Physiological
Study Links
Quality Scores
Safety80
Efficacy85/10
Quality75/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations2
Citations/Year1.0
Relative Citation Ratio0.31
NIH Percentile16.1%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.25
Weight Score1.42
Normalized Score0.81
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