---
title: Is premenstrual syndrome more common in women with low sexual desire?
description: Yes. Significantly more women with low sexual desire had severe premenstrual syndrome than women without sexual dysfunction. These women also had higher rates
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/lifetime-psychopathology-in-individuals-with-low-sexual-desire-1986/
---

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- Is premenstrual syndrome more common in women with low sexual desire?

Survey study, 1986

# Is premenstrual syndrome more common in women with low sexual desire?

Yes. Significantly more women with low sexual desire had severe premenstrual syndrome than women without sexual dysfunction. These women also had higher rates of depression.

 Early or limited evidence

46 married women with low sexual desire, 36 matched controls

## What they did

Researchers compared 46 married women with low sexual desire to 36 matched controls. They used clinical interviews and questionnaires to measure lifetime mental health history and premenstrual syndrome symptoms.

## What they found

Significantly more women with low sexual desire reported severe premenstrual syndrome symptoms. They also had almost twice the lifetime rate of depression compared to controls, and depressive episodes usually occurred before or alongside their sexual desire problems.

## What it means for you

Women with low sexual desire experience premenstrual syndrome more often, possibly because of shared biological factors like depression. However, this was a small observational study of only married women and cannot prove cause and effect.

46

women with low sexual desire

36

control women

almost twice

higher depression rate in low sexual desire group

## About the study

Original title Lifetime psychopathology in individuals with low sexual desire Authors Schreiner-Engel P, Schiavi RC Journal The Journal of nervous and mental disease Year 1986 Study design Survey study What was tested None; observational comparison. Read the paper [doi.org/10.1097/00005053-198611000-00002](https://doi.org/10.1097/00005053-198611000-00002)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Libido and sexual function](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-sexual-function/)[Borderline personality disorder](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-bpd/)[Major depressive disorder](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-major-depression/)[Schizophrenia and psychosis](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-psychosis/)

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