Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33029306›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of psychotraumatology2020

Sexual function and pelvic floor activity in women: the role of traumatic events and PTSD symptoms.

Matty D A Karsten, Vincent Wekker, Anne Bakker, Henk Groen, Miranda Olff, Annemieke Hoek, Ellen T M Laan, Tessa J Roseboom

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of psychotraumatology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 18% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Up for the tackle? The pelvic floor and rugby. A review.European journal of sport science · 2024
    Review
  4. Symptoms of complex pelvic pain: A survey in three cohorts of women.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2023
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Matty D A KarstenDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1674-9553
Vincent WekkerDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7143-7299
Anne BakkerAmsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3248-2441
Henk GroenDepartment of Epidemiology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6629-318X
Miranda OlffAmsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1016-9515
Annemieke HoekDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Ellen T M LaanDepartment of Sexology and Psychosomatic Gynaecology, Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6084-9207
Tessa J RoseboomDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0564-5994
Amsterdam University Medical Centers · NLUniversity Medical Center Groningen · NLArq Psychotrauma Expert Group · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTraumatic sexual experiences can negatively affect sexual functioning and increase pelvic floor activity in women, especially when post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is developed. However, little is known about the effect of other types of interpersonal and non-interpersonal, traumatic experiences on sexual function and pelvic floor overactivity.

objectiveThe aim of this study was to examine the effects of lifetime traumatic experiences and subsequent PTSD symptoms on sexual function and pelvic floor activity and to investigate whether the effects differ for interpersonal and non-interpersonal trauma.

methodsWomen (N=82) with obesity and a history of infertility, participating in a follow-up study of an RCT investigating a lifestyle intervention programme, completed questionnaires on lifetime exposure to traumatic events (LEC-5), PTSD symptoms (PC-PTSD-5), sexual function (MFSQ) and pelvic floor activity (AOPFS-SV).

resultsA large majority of women (85%) reported exposure to at least one traumatic event during their lifetime. Sexual function and pelvic floor activity did not differ between women who experienced non-interpersonal or interpersonal (including sexual) trauma and those who did not experience traumatic events during their lifetime. Women who had developed PTSD symptoms, however, did have higher pelvic floor activity, but sexual function was not affected. Women with a positive screen for PTSD had the highest pelvic floor activity score, and individual PTSD symptoms nightmares and hypervigilance were associated with significantly higher pelvic floor activity scores.

conclusionTrauma exposure is associated with pelvic floor overactivity in women with a positive screen for PTSD, such that pelvic floor overactivity is more severe with greater PTSD severity. These findings suggest that the development of PTSD after interpersonal trauma is pivotal in this association. Sexual function was unrelated to trauma exposure and pelvic floor function, perhaps related to the fact that the interpersonal trauma events reported in this study were mainly non-sexual.

Indexed as

interpersonal traumanon-interpersonal trauma• Only women who experienced interpersonal trauma and developed PTSD symptoms had higher pelvic floor activity, without affecting sexual function.pelvic floor muscle activitypelvic floor overactivityposttraumatic stress disorderpsychological traumasexual dysfunctionsexual traumaTrauma and stressor-related disorders• Trauma exposure in itself is unrelated to pelvic floor activity and sexual function.

Identifiers

PMID33029306
PMCPMC7473031
OpenAlexW3036122014

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.