Impact of Time on Sexual Function (FSFI® Score) After Hysterectomy (ISHYS)

Recommended Time to Resume Sexual Activity After Hysterectomy: Impact on Sexual Function (FSFI® Score) and Complication Rate ISHYS Study

In France, more than 62 000 hysterectomies are performed each year. Female sexual function is the result of multiple psychological, social and physiological factors. There is no information in the current literature about the optimum time between the surgery and the sexual relation resumption. The primary outcome is to assess the impact of advising time between hysterectomy and sexual relation resumption by using FSFI® score. Secondaries outcomes are: to describe and compare post-operative complications in the two groups of the study, to describe the follow-up of the recommendation concerning time between surgery and sexual relation resumption and to describe why this recommendation was not followed. This study is based on 4 questionnaires: FSFI® pre-operative and post-operative, pre-operative questionnaire and post-operative questionnaire. This is a monocentric, comparative, of superiority, randomised and prospective study. Patients are randomised into two groups: sexual relation resumption advised 4 weeks after surgery, or 8 weeks. The inclusion criteria are more than 18 years, francophone, in sexual activity, scheduled for a total hysterectomy for benign indication (menometrorrhagia, fibroma, adenomyosis, endometriosis, pelvic floor disorders, low-grade endometrial cancer), considering vaginal, laparoscopic and abdominal approach, and a written consent. Non-inclusion criteria are illiteracy, cognitive disorders, without social security, deprived liberty by judicial or administrative decision, psychiatric care, patient with legal protection, patient incapable of giving consent. If our conclusions confirmed our hypothesis, it can improve clinical practices by providing additional informations for surgeon and patient, to undergo this surgery as serenely as possible.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Sexual Function; Time Between Hysterectomy and Resumption of Sexual Relations
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Recommended time after hysterectomy

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 142
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• France
  • Angers, France
    • Recruiting
    • University hospital of Angers
    • Contact: Pierre-Emmanuel BOUET, MD, PhD; Phone Number: +33241354213; Email: pierreemmanuel.bouet@chu-angers.fr

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patient ≥ 18 years old,
• Francophone,
• Sexually active,
• Receiving a conservative or non-conservative total hysterectomy for benign pathology*,

• Having signed a consent form. All surgical approaches are considered, laparoscopic approach with laparoscopic or vaginal closure, vaginal approach and laparotomy.

  *The indications for the procedure selected for this study include:

• Menometrorrhagia,
• Fibroids,
• Adenomyosis,
• Endometriosis,
• Pelvic statics disorder,
• Cervical dysplasia,
• Endometrial cancer not requiring lymph node dissection or additional treatment.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Other: Resumption of sexual intercourse recommended 4 weeks after hysterectomy	Other: Recommended time after hysterectomy; Currently there is no consensus on the optimal time to resume sexual activity. Using a randomization, we will therefore compare two groups: one, whose postoperative instructions will indicate a resumption of sexual activity from 4 weeks after the operation and the other from 8 weeks postoperatively. The primary endpoint is the FSFI® score. The patients will answer the FSFI® questionnaire preoperatively and then at 3 months after surgery.
Other: Resumption of sexual intercourse recommended 8 weeks after hysterectomy	Other: Recommended time after hysterectomy; Currently there is no consensus on the optimal time to resume sexual activity. Using a randomization, we will therefore compare two groups: one, whose postoperative instructions will indicate a resumption of sexual activity from 4 weeks after the operation and the other from 8 weeks postoperatively. The primary endpoint is the FSFI® score. The patients will answer the FSFI® questionnaire preoperatively and then at 3 months after surgery.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
The Female Sexual Function Index score	Assessment of the impact of the recommended time between hysterectomy and resumption of sexual intercourse on sexual function using the Female Sexual Function Index score	one year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Postoperative complications	Describe and compare postoperative complications according to the recommended time between hysterectomy and resumption of sexual intercourse. The postoperative complications studied include dyspareunia, spontaneous pain outside of sexual intercourse, metrorrhagia, infection, and vaginal fundal suture release.	one year
Follow-up to the recommendation	Describe the follow-up to the recommendation in terms of time to resume sexual intercourse and describe the reasons for not following the recommendation	one year

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Hospital, Angers

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 5, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 5, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): October 5, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 4, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 4, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): February 15, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 23, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 18, 2025
• Last Verified: July 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: hysterectomy; sexual function; benign gynaecological disease; FSFI® score
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2022-A02714-39

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No