Psychometric properties of the Iranian version of the female sexual distress scale-revised in women.

Background: Several tools for the assessment of sexuality-related distress are now available. The Female Sexual Distress Scale (FSDS) and its revised version (FSDS-R) are extensively validated and among the most widely used tools to measure sexually related personal distress.

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the psychometric properties of the Iranian version of the FSDS-R in a population sample of Iranian women.

Methods: A total of 2,400 married and potentially sexually active women were recruited and categorized into three groups including (i) a healthy control group; (ii) a group of women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD); and (iii) a group of women suffering from other female sexual dysfunction (FSD). Participants were asked to complete a set of questionnaires including the Iranian version of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI-IV), the FSDS-R, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Methods: Sexuality-related distress and FSD as assessed by the Iranian version of the FSDS-R and the FSFI-IV are the main outcome measures.

Results: Internal consistencies and test-retest reliability of the FSDS-R across the three assessments points for the three groups were >0.70. The FSDS-R correlated significantly with anxiety, depression, and the FSFI total score. Significant differences in the FSDS-R scores were found between healthy women, women with HSDD, and women with other types of FSD. Factor analysis of the FSDS-R yielded a single-factor model with an acceptable fit.

Conclusions: The Persian version of the FSDS-R is a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of sexuality-related distress in Iranian women and can be used to screen patients with HSDD.