Sexual Health and Women with Spinal Cord Injury: A Call to Action
Researchers identify the need for actionable, patient-centered interventions that enhance sexual quality of life for women with SCI
By Carolann Murphy, Senior Medical Writer, Media/Communications
Women with spinal cord injury (SCI) experience significant sexual health challenges, including decreases in sexual function, satisfaction, and self-esteem, often exacerbated by insufficient clinical attention and societal stigma.
A team of SCI researchers, including Denise Fyffe, PhD, senior research scientist in the Centers for Spinal Cord Injury Research and Outcomes & Assessment Research at Kessler Foundation, contributed to a comprehensive scoping review that addresses the sexual health and wellness of women with SCI.
The review synthesizes current evidence and identifies gaps in knowledge to inform future interventions. Despite significant strides in understanding the correlation between SCI and sexual dysfunction, this review, published in Sexuality and Disability, highlights the pressing need for focused, intervention-based research.
The team analyzed 65 studies spanning from 1980 to 2022, predominantly observational in nature, and found that most research has been limited to high-income, Western countries, focusing mainly on sexual dysfunction. Only six intervention studies were identified, mostly related to drug trials and sexual function devices, with few addressing broader educational or counseling needs.
The authors see the need for actionable, patient-centered interventions that not only address physical aspects of sexual dysfunction but also promote sexual self-efficacy, relationship satisfaction, and overall well-being. This approach would fill the current gaps in care practices and improve accessibility to educational resources and therapeutic aids, thus enhancing the sexual quality of life for women with SCI.
Dr. Fyffe summarized the review, calling it “… a call to action for clinicians and researchers to prioritize and advance sexual health interventions that are inclusive and affirm the sexual rights and needs of women with SCI.”
Citation: Nery-Hurwit, M.B., Berri, M., Silveira, S. et al. A Scoping Review of Literature on Sexual Health and Wellness in Women with Spinal Cord Injury. Sex Disabil 42, 17–33 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-024-09834-1
