Turner syndrome affects roughly one in 2,000 girls and is caused by the complete or partial loss of one X chromosome. Among its most common consequences is primary ovarian insufficiency, which disrupts oestrogen production and shapes puberty, fertility and also sexual life. Yet the sexual health of these women has received far less attention than other clinical areas. A new study carried out at a French reference centre for rare endocrine diseases addresses exactly that gap.
The work, named SEXATURN, is a single-centre cross-sectional study (registration NCT05223621) that included 205 women aged 18 to 50: 99 with Turner syndrome and 106 with primary ovarian insufficiency unrelated to Turner. Sexual function was measured with the abbreviated Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI-6), a validated questionnaire, and clinical data were collected through questionnaires and electronic medical records. The primary outcome was the prevalence of sexual dysfunction, defined as an FSFI-6 score below 19.
The results show that sexual dysfunction affected 49.5% of women with Turner syndrome and 43.4% of women whose ovarian insufficiency had other causes, a difference that did not reach statistical significance. Among those who were sexually active, the figures were virtually identical in both groups (30.6% versus 31%). In other words, women with Turner syndrome do not have worse sexual function than other women with premature menopause, but they do describe a distinct pattern: a later start to sexual activity, fewer partners over a lifetime and a lower frequency of orgasm.
The study found no link between sexual dysfunction and age, hormone replacement therapy or the comorbidities associated with Turner syndrome. The factor that emerged most strongly was relationship status: being single was markedly associated with sexual dysfunction, with an odds ratio of 8.82, particularly in women with Turner syndrome. The authors highlight as strengths the size and careful characterisation of the cohort, the use of a validated questionnaire and a high response rate; among the limitations, they note that the FSFI-6 does not capture subjective distress or broader sexual experiences.
SEXATURN’s conclusion is that the sexual life of women with Turner syndrome deserves an explicit place in the consultation room. The authors call for sexual and psychological care to be built into multidisciplinary management and stress that having a partner is a protective factor. This is therefore not simply a hormonal matter, but an aspect of adult health that until now has fallen outside the guidelines and that clinicians should ask about, listen to and act on.
Source: SEXATURN: sexual function of patients with Turner syndrome compared to that of women with premature ovarian insufficiency. de Paillette E, Karila D, Rousseau A, Dubost E, Meykiechel T, Lamothe S, Vatier C, Jaillard S, Nedelcu M, Bourcigaux N, Donadille B, Christin-Maitre S. Sexual Medicine 2026;14(5):qfag074. DOI: 10.1093/sexmed/qfag074.
Publication details: https://doi.org/10.1093/sexmed/qfag074 · PubMed 42610070
