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New Five-Question Diagnostic Tool Helps Health Care Professionals Accurately Diagnose Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) in Women

Ridgefield, CT, March 3, 2009 —New research shows that an easy-to-use diagnostic tool can reduce the time it takes to diagnose generalized, acquired Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD), a common form of female sexual dysfunction (FSD).  Diagnosing generalized, acquired HSDD often requires a time-consuming and extensive diagnostic interview by a clinician specifically trained in FSD.  However, results of a study published today in the Journal of Sexual Medicine validate a diagnostic tool that assists non-expert clinicians in the clinical diagnosis of generalized, acquired HSDD with more than 85 percent accuracy.  This new tool is referred to as the Decreased Sexual Desire Screener® (DSDS®).

In a recent national survey of more than 31,000 women, published in Obstetrics & Gynecology (the Green Journal), nearly one in 10 women reported low desire with sexually-related personal distress, a problem that can be HSDD or secondary to other medical conditions (e.g., depression, thyroid conditions) or medication use.  Participants in the survey were not clinically evaluated by a health care professional to determine the underlying causes of the reported sexual problems.

“Discussing sexual issues, particularly low desire, often can be an uncomfortable conversation for women and health care professionals,” said lead study author Anita Clayton, M.D., professor of psychiatry and neurobehavioral sciences at the University of Virginia.  “This new tool can open up the dialogue and offer physicians and other clinicians help to accurately diagnose generalized, acquired HSDD.”

The DSDS diagnostic tool consists of five Yes or No questions:

• In the past, was your level of sexual desire/interest good and satisfying to you?
• Has there been a decrease in your level of sexual desire/interest?
• Are you bothered by your decreased level of sexual desire/interest?
• Would you like your level of sexual desire/interest to increase?

In a fifth Yes or No question, women are asked to note any factors from the following list they feel may be contributing to a loss of sexual desire or interest. 

• Medications, drugs or alcohol you are currently taking
• Pregnancy, recent childbirth, menopausal symptoms
• Other sexual issues you may be having (pain, decreased arousal or orgasm)
• Your partner’s sexual problems
• Dissatisfaction with your relationship or partner
• Stress or fatigue

If a woman answers “Yes” to questions one through four, and “No” to all of the factors in question five, then she may meet the criteria for the diagnosis of generalized, acquired HSDD.  However, following the completion of the DSDS, a clinical assessment and review with the clinician is required to confirm the diagnosis of generalized, acquired HSDD.

DSDS Validation Trial Results
The diagnoses made using a standard diagnostic interview and the DSDS agreed in 224 out of 263 cases, indicating that the DSDS had an accuracy of 85.2 percent.  Of the 165 participants with a diagnosis of generalized, acquired HSDD by standard diagnostic interview, 138 were diagnosed with generalized, acquired HSDD by the DSDS.  Of the 98 participants diagnosed as not having generalized, acquired HSDD by the standard diagnostic interview, 86 were diagnosed as not having generalized, acquired HSDD by the DSDS.  In total, 150 participants had a diagnosis of generalized, acquired HSDD by the DSDS, of whom 138 (92 percent) were also diagnosed as having generalized, acquired HSDD by standard diagnostic interview.

About the DSDS Validation Trial
The prospective, non-treatment study involved 263 women ages 18 to 50 years recruited from 27 centers in the United States and Canada.  The study population included women with HSDD, women with other types of FSD, and women with no FSD.  None of the participants were receiving any medication or psychological therapy for sexual dysfunction, or any medication that could cause sexual dysfunction or affect the central nervous system.

In the study, participants were asked to fill out the DSDS.  Then, a non-expert clinician (physician, physician’s assistant, clinical psychologist or nurse practitioner) reviewed the responses and determined whether they met the criteria for generalized, acquired HSDD.  Subsequently, expert clinicians conducted a standard diagnostic interview with each participant.  Results of the interview and those of the DSDS were then compared.

Funding for the study was provided by Boehringer Ingelheim.

About Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder
HSDD is a common form of FSD.  As defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV), HSDD is the persistent lack (or absence) of sexual fantasies or desire for any form of sexual activity marked by distress or interpersonal difficulty and not better accounted for by another disorder (except another sexual dysfunction), direct physiological effects of a substance (including medications) or a general medical condition.  Generalized, acquired HSDD is not limited to certain types of stimulation, situations or partners, and develops only after a period of normal functioning.   Sexual Desire Disorders are generally under-diagnosed in the U.S.

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., based in Ridgefield, CT, is the largest U.S. subsidiary of Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation (Ridgefield, CT) and a member of the Boehringer Ingelheim group of companies.

The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world’s 20 leading pharmaceutical companies.  Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it operates globally with 135 affiliates in 47 countries and approximately 39,800 employees.  Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel products of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.

In 2007, Boehringer Ingelheim posted net sales of US $15.0 billion (10.9 billion euro) while spending approximately one-fifth of net sales in its largest business segment, Prescription Medicines, on research and development.

For more information, please visit http://us.boehringer-ingelheim.com.

 

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