Sexuality is one of the most complex and important aspect of women's life. Sexual affairs rank
first in the married couples' life and sexual satisfaction can bring about a favorable and convenient
marriage. Any disruption in the sexual experience can bring changes to marriage life and affect its
harmony and these changes may end with unfavorable conditions such as exposure to intimate partner
violence. Objective: Assess prevalence and risk factors for sexual dysfunction among married women
attending family health centers in Alexandria. Setting: The study was carried out at 8 family health
centers representing the 8 health zones in Alexandria namely; El-Qulea, Karmoze, El Hadara, El
Mandara, El-Aml, El Dekhela, Baheg, and Orabi. Subjects: A convenient sample of 400 married
women attending the previously selected settings. Tools: Five tools were used for data collection;
Married women' basic data structured interview schedule, Women Sexual Dysfunction Index (FSDI),
Women Sexual Distress Scale Revised Scale (FSDS), Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale (KMSS) and
Women's Experience with Battering (WEB). Results: Findings of the present study revealed that less
than two thirds (60.0%) of the studied women had sexual dysfunction, and less than half (48.0%) of
them had sexual distress. Less than one third (32.0%) of the studied women had marital dissatisfaction
and more than one fifth (21.0%) of them were exposed to intimate partner violence. Moreover,
statistically significant correlations were found between sexual dysfunction and sexual distress,
marital satisfaction and exposure to intimate partner violence (r=0.776 p= 0.000, r=-0.812 p=0.000,
and r=0.425 p=0.000 respectively). Conclusion: The study concluded that sexual dysfunction is a
serious problem among women which affect women's whole life and need prompt interventions.
Recommendations: Health education and marital counseling should be introduced as a general
course in higher institutions of learning to prepare would-be couples for the task of inculcating a
positive sexual behavior.