Assessment of quality of life, psychological aspects, and sexual function of women with endometriosis according to pain and infertility: a cross sectional study

To evaluate the quality of life, sexual function, anxiety, and depression of women with endometriosis according to pain symptoms and infertility.

This cross-sectional multicenter study included 229 women with endometriosis followed up at a tertiary hospital in Campinas, a tertiary hospital in São Paulo, and a reproductive medicine clinic in Campinas from 2018 to 2021. The women were divided into four groups according to the presence of pain symptoms and infertility. The Endometriosis Health Profile Questionnaire, Female Sexual Function Index, Beck Depression Inventory, and Beck Anxiety Index were applied to assess quality of life, sexual function, depression, and anxiety of women with endometriosis.

The women were grouped as follows: group 1 (45 women without infertility and without pain), group 2 (73 women without infertility and with pain), group 3 (49 women with infertility and without pain), and group 4 (62 women with infertility and pain). Of the women with infertility, the majority had primary infertility. Most women had deep endometriosis (p = 0.608). Women with pain had higher anxiety and depression scores and worse quality of life than women without pain (p < 0.001). Regarding sexual function, all the groups were at risk for sexual dysfunction (p = 0.671). The group of women with pain and infertility have worse anxiety scores (25.31 ± 15.96) and depression (18.81 ± 11.16) than the other groups.

Pain symptoms worsen anxiety, depression, and quality of life of women with endometriosis and when associated with infertility, greater impairment of psychological aspects may occur.