Introduction: According to the literature, 20-50% of women will experience urinary tract infection (UTI) in their lifetime, and in 10-30% of cases, cystitis will recur. Despite the high prevalence of recurrent UTI, there are lack of studies dedicated to its impact on the quality of life, and the influence of postcoital cystitis on the quality of life and sexual function has not been previously evaluated.
Aim: To assess the quality of life and sexual function in patients with recurrent postcoital cystitis before and after transposition of the urethra.
Material and methods: Women suffering from recurrent postcoital cystitis, who underwent urethral transposition from 2019 to 2021 were included the study. The SF-12v2 questionnaire was used to assess quality of life, while sexual function was evaluated using Female Sexual Function Index [FSFI]. Questionnaires were filled out by 70 patients, before and after surgery.
Results: All domains of the quality of life were significantly different in the pre- and postoperative period. More pronounced changes were found in the mental health-related quality of life. In addition, there were significant differences in each domain of FSFI and the overall score postoperatively compared to baseline.
Conclusion: Our study reports a high prevalence of sexual dysfunction among women with recurrent postcoital cystitis as well as a reduced quality of life. This work shows the social significance of the problem, as well as the high rehabilitation potential of urethral transposition.
Keywords: postcoital cystitis; quality of life; recurrent urinary tract infection; sexual function.