Female Sexual Dysfunction and Anorexia Nervosa (SD&AN)

March 17, 2026 updated by: Tatiana Hess, Comenius University

Exploring Sexual Dysfunction in Women Affected by Anorexia Nervosa: Initial Insights

The objective of this observational study is to investigate the potential influence of anorexia nervosa on the sexual health of women. The primary focus is to determine the presence of sexual dysfunction in individuals with anorexia nervosa and explore any potential correlation between eating disorders and sexual dysfunction. To facilitate comparison, data from a control group comprising healthy women is incorporated alongside the clinical group data.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

numerous studies indicate that women diagnosed with anorexia nervosa experience a discernible impact on their sexual well-being, often accompanied by symptoms of sexual dysfunction (SD). Such dysfunction may manifest as a diminished libido, reduced sexual desire, and challenges in achieving orgasm

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

122

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Slovakia
      • Bratislava, Slovakia
        • Tatiana Hess

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The subjects within the clinical group are women diagnosed with either AN or a history of anorexia nervosa

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

clinic group :

  • adult
  • women
  • diagnosis of anorexia nervosa
  • from Slovakia and Czech Republic

control group:

  • health women
  • adult
  • from Slovakia and Czech Republic

Exclusion Criteria:

clinic group:

  • healthy women
  • man
  • other diagnosis or disorder
  • other country

control group:

  • presence of some mental illness
  • other country
  • man

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
clinic
adult women with anorexia nervosa or actual or after stabilization
Behavioral: psychotherapy
psychotherapy related to sexual intervention
control
health adult women without any psychological or mental illnes

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Female Sexual function index (FSFI)
Time Frame: 1 day
A self-administered questionnaire was utilized to gather information on participants' sexual experiences and satisfaction over the past four weeks. The questionnaire encompasses six domains: desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain, each rated on a scale of 0 to 5. A lower score indicates a higher likelihood of sexual dysfunction.The maximum attainable score is 36 and minimum is 2, with a cut off of 26 serving as a potential diagnostic threshold for sexual dysfunction
1 day

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The Eating Disorder Examination - Questionnaire Short (EDE-QS
Time Frame: 1 day
The Eating Disorder Examination - Questionnaire Short (EDE-QS) is a concise 12-item version featuring a 4-point response scale. The maximum attainable score is 36 and minimum is 0, with a cut off of 15 serving as a potential diagnostic threshold for eating disorder. Higher score indicate worse outcome.This instrument is designed to assess eating disorder (ED) symptoms observed within the preceding 7 days. The screening EDE-QS aims to efficiently identify probable ED symptomatology while demonstrating robust psychometric properties.
1 day

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Comenius University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

May 15, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

January 31, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

August 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 2, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 2, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

February 12, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 19, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 17, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • UK-FiF-PSYCH-AN- SEX-22-26

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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