Sexual functioning among adults with chronic pain: Prevalence and association with pain-related outcomes.

Findings demonstrated that patients with chronic pain experience significant sexual dysfunction, including lack of interest in sexual activity and low satisfaction with their sex lives. Compared to patients without sexual dysfunction, patients with sexual dysfunction reported higher average pain levels and higher depressive symptoms, along with greater anxiety for patients with at least one area of sexual dysfunction. Adding to these findings are the pain-relevant correlates of sexual functioning domains and sex differences in these relationships with women experiencing additional pain-related problems. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.