Sexual function and depressive symptoms in young women with overt hyperthyroidism.

OBJECTIVE: Despite high prevalence in a female population, surprisingly little is known about sexual functioning of women with thyroid hyperfunction. This study was aimed at assessing female sexual function and depressive symptoms in women with overt hyperthyroidism of autoimmune and non-autoimmune origin.

STUDY DESIGN: The study included three age-matched groups of young women inhabiting the Upper Silesia (a selenium-deficient and iodine-sufficient area): individuals with overt hyperthyroidism induced by Graves' disease (group A, n = 31), women with overt hyperthyroidism caused by toxic multinodular goiter or toxic adenoma (group B, n = 30) and women with normal thyroid function (group C, n = 34). Apart from measuring serum hormone levels, serum antibody titers and determining calculated parameters of thyroid homeostasis, all women completed questionnaires evaluating femalesexual function (FSFI) and depressive symptoms (BDI-II).

RESULTS: The mean total FSFI score and all domain scores were lower while the overall BDI-II score was higher in both groups of women with overt hyperthyroidism than in the control group, and correlated with thyrotropin and free thyroid hormone levels, as well as with the SPINA-GT index. The FSFI score as well as domain scores for desire, arousal and sexual satisfaction were lower, while the BDI-II score was higher in group A than in group B. In group A, the total FSFI score, desire, arousal, sexual satisfaction and severity of depressive symptoms correlated with TRAb and TPOAb titers.

CONCLUSION: The obtained results suggest that excessive thyroid hormone production and thyroid autoimmunity have an additive effect on sexual functioning and mood.