Using the health belief model to predict those seeking treatment for Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder among premenopausal women

Abstract

Objective: Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) was the most common subtype of female sexual dysfunction; however, little was known about why Chinese women with HSDD were willing to seek medical help. This study aimed to identify predictive factors of seeking treatment for HSDD. Materials and methods: 260 outpatient premenopausal women who met the DSM-IV-TR criteria for HSDD for at least 6 months were recruited. All cases were divided into groups of willing to be treated and unwilling to be treated. The main outcome measures in this study were the Sexual Desire Relationship Distress Scale (SDRDS) score, physical and psychosexual characteristics, and Health Belief Model (HBM) variables. Results: Women with willingness to be treated were significantly associated with fewer experiences of sexual assault (P = 0.033), longer relationship with a partner (P = 0.039), greater agreement about the severity of mental health injury as a result of HSDD (P = 0.008), more cues to action of sexual treatment (P < 0.05), higher self-efficacy (P < 0.05), and lesser treatment barriers including embarrassment about discussing desire problems with a physician (P = 0.026) and partner disagreement (P = 0.005). A relationship of more than 36 months (OR = 7.92), cues to action (OR = 1.70), and self-efficacy (OR = 1.76) could significantly predict willingness to be treated. Conclusions: HBM was useful in predicting treatment intent in premenopausal women with HSDD. These findings suggest ways to increase the rate of those seeking treatment in the future. Keywords: Hypoactive sexual desire disorder, Treatment intent, Premenopausal women