Social and economic circumstances appear to have a stronger influence on women’s sexual dysfunction than whether they were born in Australia or overseas, according to new research from the University of Adelaide.
The study, published in Frontiers in Reproductive Health, surveyed 678 women of reproductive age, including 342 Australian-born women and 336 women born overseas. Researchers assessed sexual function across six areas: desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction and pain.
The findings showed that sexual dysfunction was common in both groups, with almost identical rates reported. Forty-seven per cent of Australian-born women and 46 per cent of overseas-born women reported symptoms consistent with sexual dysfunction.
Lead author Negin Mirzaei Damabi from the University of Adelaide’s School of Public Health said the condition remains one of the most common but under-recognised issues affecting women’s wellbeing.
“Female sexual dysfunction is broadly defined as persistent difficulties with desire, arousal, orgasm, or sexual pain that cause personal distress and represents one of the most prevalent yet under-recognised conditions affecting women’s quality of life and wellbeing,” she said.
“Female sexual dysfunction arises from a combination of biological, psychological and social factors, with established predictors including physical and mental health, relationship dynamics and broader sociocultural influences.”
Researchers found little difference between the two groups across most aspects of sexual function. The only exception was a borderline difference in sexual satisfaction, which was slightly higher among overseas-born women.
Senior author Associate Professor Zohra Lassi said pain was the area where women reported the greatest difficulties, while desire had the lowest scores across the survey.
“The scores were almost identical in both groups, with 47% of Australian-born women and 46% of overseas-born women reporting sexual dysfunction issues,” she said.
“Numbers were nearly the same across all six domains of function as well, except for a borderline difference in sexual satisfaction favouring foreign-born women.
“Pain scores were the highest for both groups, while desire scores were the lowest for all respondents.”
The researchers said the results challenge assumptions that women from migrant backgrounds are at greater risk of sexual dysfunction.
After adjusting for factors such as age, education and income, birthplace was no longer associated with a higher likelihood of sexual dysfunction.
“Once we accounted for differences such as age, education and income, being born overseas did not change a woman’s likelihood of having sexual dysfunction,” Damabi said.
“The broader social and economic factors mattered more.”
The study points to the importance of considering women’s living circumstances, financial security and access to education and healthcare when assessing sexual health, rather than relying on migration status as an indicator of risk.
Damabi said the findings support a broader approach to screening and treatment.
“Sexual dysfunction is a universal burden among reproductive-aged women. It needs to be a routine part of care for everyone, not treated as a niche concern,” she said.
She said clinicians should avoid using birthplace as a proxy for vulnerability and instead consider sexual health discussions as part of standard care.
The authors acknowledged that further research is needed to understand how social and economic conditions affect women’s sexual health over time. They said longer-term studies following women across different stages of life could help identify which factors have the greatest impact and improve understanding of sexual health outcomes across diverse populations.
The study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that women’s sexual health is shaped by a complex mix of personal, relational and social influences, and that migration alone is a poor predictor of sexual dysfunction.
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