Por Ismael Buendia 
The Andalusian School of Public Health (EASP), an institution of the Ministry of Health and Consumption, highlights the results of a study that delves into the relationship between eating disorders and sexual dysfunction in women, emphasizing the importance of public health research as a fundamental way to advance the diagnosis and prevention of these diseases that comprehensively impact quality of life.
The article, published in the International European Eating Disorders Review journal, presents the data from a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies conducted on women with eating disorders. The analysis focuses on cases of anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN), and concludes that there is a higher prevalence of sexual dysfunction in those who suffer from these disorders, even more pronounced in the case of anorexia.
This work, the result of the joint effort of an international research team, is supported by a rigorous methodology that includes the analysis of over 2,600 studies, from which a total of seven were selected based on strict criteria of quality and comparability. The methodology, based on standardized mean differences and random effects models, provides a statistically robust view of the issues associated with eating disorders, often overlooked.
The results reveal a significant association between eating disorders and sexual dysfunction, highlighting the need to incorporate sexual health approaches in clinical treatments aimed at women with these disorders.
Furthermore, the importance of expanding research is emphasized, including other clinical profiles such as Binge Eating Disorder (BED), which was excluded from the meta-analysis due to insufficiently consistent data, as this disorder has recently been identified as such.