HIGLIGHTS
•Women with intestinal endometriosis may have impaired quality of life and altered bowel habits. Intestinal endometriosis can be treated medically or surgically. The bowel function of these women is directly correlated with sexual function and quality of life, regardless of the type of treatment.
ABSTRACT
Background:
Women with intestinal endometriosis may have a higher incidence of constipation, which may influence their quality of life.
Objective:
To correlate bowel function with sexual function and quality of life in women with deep endometriosis according to the type of treatment.
Methods:
Cross-sectional study carried out with 141 women with bowel endometriosis from May 2020 to April 2021. Women were divided into two groups according to kind of treatment: 51 women with surgery treatment and 90 women with medical treatment. The Endometriosis Health Profile Questionnaire were used to assess quality of life e Female Sexual Function Index were used to assess sexual function. To access bowel function we used the following questionnaires: Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index and Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory.
Results:
The mean age of women in the surgical group (37.98±5.91years) was higher than that of the medical group (35.68±5.45years) (P=0.006). There was no statistically significant difference between pain symptoms (P=0.905), water intake (P=0.573) or fiber (P=0.173) and physical activity (P=0.792) in both groups. There was no difference between quality of life and sexual function in both groups. There was a direct correlation of bowel function with quality of life and sexual function in both groups. Conclusion: Bowel function is directly correlated with sexual function and quality of life, regardless of the type of treatment.
Keywords:
Endometriosis; quality of life; sexual disorder; constipation