Acupuncture effective treatment practice for Female Sexual Dysfunction, reports research

A groundbreaking study on Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) found that acupuncture is an effective treatment strategy for the management. It is safe, worthy and yields satisfactory results in women with sexual dysfunction issues. The study results were published in the journal Sexual Medicine.  

FSD is a significant issue that negatively impacts the quality of life for many women. It involves complex physiological and pathological mechanisms due to various endocrine imbalances, psychological and social stressors, medications, and gynecological conditions. All these factors can negatively impact sexual function. Based on the factors influencing FSD, it can be broadly divided into three categories like biological, psychological, and social. Despite its prevalence, access to effective treatments for FSD are less available to women. Hence, exploring alternative therapies became crucial. One such alternative is acupuncture, which has shown potential in improving sexual function in women. Hence researchers conducted a study to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of acupuncture in treating FSD, based on a clear acupuncture protocol and established face-to-face therapy to determine whether acupuncture could serve as an effective treatment for FSD. Then impact of acupuncture on various aspects of female sexual function and patient satisfaction was done by using existing acupuncture protocol by the researchers. 

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 24 women diagnosed with FSD who received acupuncture treatment between October 2018 and February 2022. The effectiveness of the treatment was assessed by using the Chinese version of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) which evaluates several key dimensions of sexual function, including sexual desire, arousal, vaginal lubrication, orgasm, sexual satisfaction, and pain during intercourse (dyspareunia). Prognosis was assessed by measuring scores recorded before and after acupuncture treatment. The primary outcome was to measure the change in FSFI scores including specific evaluations of sexual desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and dyspareunia. A comprehensive assessment of sexual function across multiple dimensions was done by using a validated questionnaire to allow for an in-depth analysis of the treatment's impact.

Results

• A 100% improvement rate in the treatment of FSD was observed among the participants.
• significant improvements in their overall FSFI scores were experienced by the 24 women following acupuncture treatment.
• Specifically, scores for sexual desire, arousal, vaginal lubrication, orgasm, sexual satisfaction, and dyspareunia showed marked improvement, with a statistical significance (P < .05) before and after treatment. 
•  High levels of satisfaction were expressed by the patients with acupuncture as a treatment for FSD suggesting that acupuncture could be a viable and effective non-pharmacological option for women experiencing sexual dysfunction.
• This study indicates that acupuncture can effectively treat FSD across all dimensions of sexual function, offering high safety and patient satisfaction and having several advantages. Firstly, this is the first study to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture in treating FSD using the FSFI scale, which measures sexual function across six dimensions. Secondly, acupuncture is a simple, readily available, and cost-effective treatment option with few side effects. Its non-invasive nature and positive results make it a promising alternative to pharmacological interventions for FSD.

However, certain limitations like small sample size and no detailed grouping or control study comparing pre- and post-treatment sex hormone levels are present in the present study. Additionally, the lack of a control group limits the ability to definitively attribute improvements solely to acupuncture. Despite these limitations, the findings strongly suggest that acupuncture is an effective, safe, and affordable treatment for FSD. Further extensive research with larger sample sizes and control groups is needed to confirm these results with the foundation offered by this study for further exploration of acupuncture as a treatment for female sexual dysfunction. 

Further reading: Zhang JT, Ma L, Gong X, Luo S, Zhao S. Clinical Study on the Use of Acupuncture for the Treatment of Female Sexual Dysfunction: A Pilot Study. Sex Med. 2022;10(4):100541. doi:10.1016/j.esxm.2022.100541