This PISQ12 score calculator evaluates sexual function in women with urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse. In the text below the form there is information about the score and about the studies behind it.
PISQ12 score explained
The PISQ12 score is based on the short form of the Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire.
It is aimed at clinicians and other medical specialists that are interested to assess the sexual function in women with urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse.
The score consists of 12 items, all of which are questions pertaining to sexual life aspects.
The subject is asked to consider their sexuality over the past six months. Each of these items is accompanied by some answer choices which are weighted differently, depending on their impact.
1. How frequently do you feel sexual desire? This feeling may include wanting to have sex, planning to have sex, feeling frustrated due to lack of sex, etc.
Daily (4 points)
Weekly (3 points)
Monthly (2 points)
Less than once a month (1 point)
Never (0 points)
2. Do you climax (have an orgasm) when having sexual intercourse with your partner?
3. Do you feel sexually excited (turned on) when having sexual activity with your partner?
4. How satisfied are you with the variety of sexual activities in your current sex life?
5. Do you feel pain during sexual intercourse?
6. Are you incontinent of urine (leak urine) with sexual activity?
7. Does fear of incontinence (either stool or urine) restrict your sexual activity?
8. Do you avoid sexual intercourse because of bulging in the vagina (either the bladder, rectum or vagina falling out)?
9. When you have sex with your partner, do you have negative emotional reactions such as fear, disgust, shame or guilt?
10. Does your partner have a problem with erections that affects your sexual activity?
11. Does your partner have a problem with premature ejaculation that affects your sexual activity?
Questions 2 to 11 have the following answer choices:
■ Always;
■ Usually;
■ Sometimes;
■ Seldom;
■ Never.
The number of points awarded for the above answer choices ranges from 0 for always to 4 for never. The scoring is reversed for items 1, 2, 3 and 4.
The last item with its answer choices is:
12. Compared to orgasms you have had in the past, how intense are the orgasms you have had in the past six months?
■ Much less intense (0 points);
■ Less intense (1 points);
■ Same intensity (2 points);
■ More intense (3 point);
■ Much more intense (4 points).
There is no cut off, the lower the score, the greater the impairment of the sexual function caused by urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse.
The PISQ12 is often recommended in assessment of sexual dysfunction because it is condition specific and has proven validity and excellent responsiveness.
Once the questionnaire is answered and the sum of answer points is performed, the PISQ12 score can be compared to the long version by multiplying the result by 2.58 (or 31/12).
Please also note that the original study that introduced the shortened version (2003) referenced below, is accompanied by an erratum (2004) also referenced below, which refers to 2 errors in the original study.
About the PISQ studies
Based on previous research conclusions and other sexual function nonspecific instruments, the PISQ, which is the original 31 item version of the questionnaire was created after a two-phase study.
During the first phase, 83 female subjects have completed the PISQ and the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7. The second phase was one of validation and involved 99 subjects. This time, results were correlated with the Sexual History Form-12.
The study identified three domains of function: Behavioural/Emotive, Physical, and Partner-Related.
The short version study used data from the original study and employed the short 12 item version in an additional number of 46 subjects, for validation.
The short scores then underwent correlation analysis with long form, Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7, Sexual History Form-12 and Symptom Questionnaire scores.
Test-retest reliability was also analysed on a 20 subject sample. The PISQ12 was found to be a reliable method of distinguishing women with poor sexual function.
Pelvic organ prolapse guidelines
Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when one or more pelvic organs drop from their normal place in the lower abdomen and pushes against vaginal walls.
It often occurs due to the impairment of the muscles in the region, after childbirth, surgery or trauma.
Organs that can prolapse include the bladder, urethra, uterus, small bowel, rectum or vagina.
Symptoms include a sensation of a bulge, discomfort during sexual intercourse or problems passing urine (sometimes in the form of stress incontinence).
In some cases, there are no evident symptoms and the pelvic prolapse is discovered during unrelated investigations such as cervical screening.
These are the main types of prolapse:
■ Anterior – involving the bladder which bulges into the front wall of the vagina;
■ Posterior – involving the bowel which bulges forward into the back wall of the vagina;
■ Prolapse of the uterus and cervix.
Other risk factors besides childbirth and surgery include old age, obesity, changes during menopause, heavy lifting and repeated manual work, excessive straining during long-term constipation.
References
1. Rogers RG, Kammerer-Doak D, Villarreal A, Coates K, Qualls C. (2001) A new instrument to measure sexual function in women with urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse. Am J Obstet Gynecol; 184(4):552.
2. Rogers RG, Coates KW, Kammerer-Doak D, Khalsa S, Qualls C. (2003) A short form of the Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire (PISQ-12). Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct; 14(3):164.
04 Apr, 2017