Sexual activity and functioning after risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy: Impact of hormone replacement therapy

• We examined sexual activity and functioning after risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy
• The control group consisted of women from the general population
• RRSO women reported less sexual pleasure and more discomfort than did the controls
• Among RRSO women, systemic HRT users had less sexual discomfort than did the nonusers
• No associations between HRT use and sexual pleasure scores were observed

ObjectiveTo examine sexual activity and functioning in women after risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) compared with the general population (NORM).MethodsRetrospective cohort study. 294 women who underwent RRSO and 1228 women from the NORM group provided written information based on mailed questionnaires. Sexual pleasure and discomfort scores and frequency of sexual activity were evaluated using the Sexual Activity Questionnaire.ResultsThe RRSO group reported less sexual pleasure (10.5 vs 11.9, P = 0.009), more discomfort (1.9 vs 0.83, P < 0.001), and less frequent sex than did the controls. Significant associations were observed between a lower pleasure score and being in the RRSO group, older age, history of cancer, low body image, high level of role functioning, and low level of global quality of life (QoL). Further, significant associations were detected between more discomfort and being in the RRSO group, older age, history of cancer, poor body image, and low level of global QoL. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) use had no impact on pleasure or discomfort score in regression analyses among all the sexually active women. However, in subanalyses of the RRSO group, users of systemic HRT reported less discomfort (1.2 vs 2.4, P = 0.001) than did the nonusers.ConclusionsAfter RRSO, women reported significantly less sexual pleasure, more discomfort, and less frequent sex compared with the controls. In the RRSO group, systemic HRT users reported less discomfort than did the nonusers. Health care providers should be attentive to these issues when counseling before and after prophylactic surgery.