Introduction: Limited published data address the impact of low sexual desire and interest on multiple domains of women's partnered relationships.
Aim: To investigate associations between sexual interest and attitudes toward and frequency of partner interactions in women with reduced sexual desire.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using market research databases to recruit women from the general community in the United States, Germany, and Italy. Telephone interviews screened women to obtain a sample aged 18-65 years, in a relationship, and upset/bothered by decreased sexual desire. A 60-minute face-to-face questionnaire was conducted in participants' homes.
Main outcome measures: Attitudes Toward Partner Interactions (ATPI) index measured sexual and nonsexual partner interactions. Higher scores indicated more positive attitudes and a higher frequency of partner interactions. Sexual interest was assessed on a 6-point scale.
Results: One thousand four hundred two of the 8,000 women screened met the inclusion criteria and agreed to participate (USA N = 600, Germany N = 402, Italy N = 400). A high percentage of participants reported that their sexual interest was absent to very weak (45%) or somewhat weak (43%). Mean ATPI scores increased significantly across sexual interest categories, from absent to very weak (3.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.4 to 4.0) to somewhat weak (5.3, 95% CI 5.0 to 5.6) to somewhat strong or greater sexual interest (7.8, 95% CI 7.3 to 8.4) (one-way analysis of variance, effect size = 0.129, P = 0.001). Higher reported sexual interest was significantly associated with comparatively positive ATPI scores (above the median) (Phi-Kraemer, K = 0.194 P < 0.001).
Conclusion: Clinicians need to be aware that women suffering from characteristics of hypoactive sexual desire disorder have more negative patterns of partner interactions.