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Correlated genetic and non-shared environmental influences account for the co-morbidity between female sexual dysfunctions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 March 2008

K. Witting ,
P. Santtila ,
F. Rijsdijk ,
M. Varjonen ,
P. Jern ,
A. Johansson ,
B. von der Pahlen ,
K. Alanko  and
N. K. Sandnabba
K. Witting*
Affiliation:
Centre of Excellence for Behaviour Genetics, Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Finland
P. Santtila
Affiliation:
Centre of Excellence for Behaviour Genetics, Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Finland
F. Rijsdijk
Affiliation:
MRC SGDP Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK
M. Varjonen
Affiliation:
Centre of Excellence for Behaviour Genetics, Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Finland
P. Jern
Affiliation:
Centre of Excellence for Behaviour Genetics, Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Finland
A. Johansson
Affiliation:
Centre of Excellence for Behaviour Genetics, Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Finland
B. von der Pahlen
Affiliation:
Centre of Excellence for Behaviour Genetics, Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Finland
K. Alanko
Affiliation:
Centre of Excellence for Behaviour Genetics, Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Finland
N. K. Sandnabba
Affiliation:
Centre of Excellence for Behaviour Genetics, Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Finland
*
*Address for correspondence: K. Witting, M.Sc., M.Psych., Centre of Excellence in Behaviour Genetics, Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, 20500 Turku, Finland. (Email: katarina.witting@abo.fi)
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Abstract

Background

Previous studies have shown moderate heritability for female orgasm. So far, however, no study has addressed the pattern of genetic and environmental influences on diverse sexual dysfunctions in women, nor how genetic and environmental factors contribute to the associations between them.

Method

The sample was drawn from the Genetics of Sex and Aggression (GSA) sample and consisted of 6446 female twins (aged 18–43 years) and 1994 female siblings (aged 18–49 years). The participants responded to the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), either by post or online.

Results

Model fitting analyses indicated that individual differences on all six subdomains of the FSFI (desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain) were primarily due to non-shared (individual-specific) environmental influences. Genetic influences were modest but significant, whereas shared environmental influences were not significant. A correlated factors model including additive and non-additive genetic and non-shared environmental effects proved to have the best fit and suggested that both correlated additive and non-additive genetic factors and unique environmental factors underlie the co-occurrence of the sexual function problems.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that female sexual dysfunctions are separate entities with some shared aetiology. They also indicate that there is a genetic susceptibility for sexual dysfunctions. The unique experiences of each individual are, however, the main factors determining if, and which, dysfunction develops.

Keywords

Female sexual dysfunctionFSFIgenetic influencestwin study
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 39 , Issue 1 , January 2009 , pp. 115 - 127
Copyright
Copyright © 2008 Cambridge University Press

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