Whether we realize it or not, we are constantly sensing and processing signals from our bodies. For example, we may be consciously or subconsciously aware of our heartbeat, breathing, hunger, thirst, temperature (ie, feeling too hot or too cold), or our need to go to the bathroom. The process of perceiving these bodily cues to better understand the state of the body is known as interoception.
Sometimes, people experience a dysfunction of intrauterine function. This means that there is a disconnect between the body’s signals and the brain’s interpretation of those signals. Ultimately, this can lead to a misrepresentation of the body’s internal state. Some medical conditions that may contribute to cognitive dysfunction are anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Some experts also believe that contraceptive dysfunction may play a role in eating disorders and possibly sexual dysfunction in women. Certainly, disordered eating and female sexual dysfunction are complex medical conditions that can be caused by a myriad of factors such as childhood trauma, body dysmorphia, physical or other medical conditions, mental health problems, and/or some combination of these factors. However, some speculate that problems with conception could be among the multiple factors that contribute to both of these conditions.
More research is needed to support these theories, but the two main characteristics of introspection that experts believe contribute to disordered eating are body confidence and distraction.
A person with high body confidence is able to perceive and accurately recognize the signals that their body sends them, such as “feeling full” or “feeling hungry”. Often, people with disordered eating have low body trust, which means they don’t trust that the information their body is sending them is accurate. Therefore, they may take a different approach to dealing with the signals they perceive being sent from their bodies.
Distraction, on the other hand, is the tendency to try to distract oneself from uncomfortable bodily sensations. This pattern of cognitive dysfunction is also quite common in individuals experiencing disordered eating.
When it comes to sexual dysfunction, conceptional dysfunction can also play a role. Impaired processing of one’s bodily sensations can cause a bias toward noticing unpleasant or mildly painful sensations over pleasant sensations. In addition, low body confidence may cause individuals to distrust their body parts during sex, leading to less desirable outcomes.
To further explore the potential role of intrauterine dysfunction in relation to disordered eating and female sexual dysfunction, a team of researchers recruited 1,201 women from a medium-sized university in the southeastern US and several Reddit communities related to women’s health, sex and disordered eating to participate in a study.
Women in this study completed the Multidimensional Assessment of Interconception Awareness Version 2, which is a measure of interconception. They also completed the Eating Disorder Screening Questionnaire, the Female Sexual Functioning Index, and a questionnaire about their demographics, including height and weight.
When collecting and analyzing the results, the researchers found that lower overall self-concept and lower body confidence were indeed associated with higher dietary restriction and worse sexual function. Additionally, higher body image concerns were associated with worse sexual function and higher dietary restriction. This suggests that problems with conception and body image concerns may be common risk factors for disordered eating and female sexual dysfunction.
Importantly, this study represents very early research, so further studies are imperative to replicate the results and support this finding.
However, given that the results of this study suggest that intrauterine dysfunction may be an underlying risk factor for both female sexual dysfunction and eating disorder, treatment to improve an individual’s intrauterine and body confidence may is an effective way to treat an underlying issue that may be contributing to both of these conditions.
For more information on this topic, read these posts from The Journal of Sexual Medicine:
Disordered eating and sexual function in women: the role of intrauterine conception
Sexual function in obese women with and without binge eating disorder
Bibliographical references:
Poovey, K., de Jong, D., & Rancourt, D. (2023). Disordered eating and sexual function in women: the role of intrauterine conception. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 20(6), 859-870.
