Psychological and Sexual Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Egypt: Are Women Suffering More?

Salma Samir Omar, MD; Waleed Dawood, MD; Noha Eid, MD; Dalia Eldeeb, MD; Amr Munir, MD; Waleed Arafat, MD

Sexual Medicine (Feb 2021)

Psychological and Sexual Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Egypt: Are Women Suffering More?

Salma Samir Omar, MD,
Waleed Dawood, MD,
Noha Eid, MD,
Dalia Eldeeb, MD,
Amr Munir, MD,
Waleed Arafat, MD

Affiliations

Salma Samir Omar, MD: Department of Dermatology, Venereology & Andrology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt; Corresponding Author: Salma Samir Omar, MD, Faculty of Medicine, Elkhartoum square, Alexandria, Egypt. Tel: +201227982197
Waleed Dawood, MD: Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
Noha Eid, MD: Department of Gynaecology & Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
Dalia Eldeeb, MD: Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
Amr Munir, MD: Department of Clinical Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
Waleed Arafat, MD: Department of Clinical Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 9, no. 1
p. 100295

Abstract

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Introduction: Psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic include pandemic triggered feelings of fear, uncertainty, and anxiety added to the effects of restricting the population's activities in lockdown. Aim: We aimed to study the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on sexual satisfaction of females and males in Egypt and to evaluate possible predictive factors. Methods: Married men and females in Egypt were invited to respond to an online questionnaire. The questionnaire addressed medical history, socioeconomic status, sexual performance satisfaction before and during the lockdown in addition to validated Arabic questionnaires for depression, sexual function in males and females, and sexual satisfaction (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Female Sexual Function Index, International Index of Erectile Function-5, Index of Sexual Satisfaction, respectively). Main outcome measure: The main outcome measures were frequency of depression, anxiety, sexual dysfunction, and sexual satisfaction in males and females during COVID-19 lockdown. Results: A total of 479 females and 217 males completed the questionnaire. Sexual satisfaction was significantly higher before (91.2%, 73.5%) than during lockdown (70.5%, 56.2%) in both males and females, respectively. During lockdown, significantly more males (70.5%) reported being satisfied with their sexual performance than females (56.2%) (P 35 years, marriage duration of 5-10 years, anxiety, and female sexual dysfunction were predictors of sexual relation stress in females. Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic was associated with lower sexual satisfaction in both genders. Females however suffered more anxiety and depression and thereby greater risk of sexual function difficulties and sexual dissatisfaction. Intervention strategies in order to lessen the suffering of affected individuals particularly after the pandemic are recommended.Omar SS, Dawood W, Eid N, et al. Psychological and Sexual Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Egypt: Are Women Suffering More. Sex Med 2021;9:100295.

Published in Sexual Medicine

ISSN: 2050-1161 (Online)
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Medicine
Website: https://academic.oup.com/smoa

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Abstract

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