Effect of Genital Warts on Female Sexual Function and Quality of Life: An Egyptian Study

Patients with genital warts (GWs), worried about the indefinite timeline and perspectives of recovery, they were often depressed and had low self-esteem. The patients’ self-image as well as their social lives were affected by the stigmatization caused by the disease. Patients found it difficult to detach themselves from their GWs because of the repeated treatments and the negative effects on their sex lives[1, 2]. Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is defined as disorders of sexual desire, arousal, orgasm, and sexual pain, which lead to personal distress[3]. The patients suffering from GWs described themselves as ‘impure, repulsive and sexually unattractive’ and seriously questioned how others might find them attractive when they did not even like themselves. Problems often arose in existing relationships because of worries about the source of the infection or a lack of sexual desire4.Their libido is low, their sexual initiative is reduced, and pleasure is often lost during intercourse because of awareness of the warts and fear of transmitting the disease[5].