Brief Index of Sexual Functioning for Women

Abstract

The Brief Index of Sexual Functioning for Women (BISF-W) is a 22-item, standardized self-report inventory developed to address the critical need for a brief, yet comprehensive, measure of female sexual function suitable for clinical trials and large-scale research. The scale assesses major dimensions including sexual desire, arousal, orgasm, and satisfaction.

The BISF-W items were partially adapted from the Brief Sexual Function Questionnaire (BSFQ) for men, but additional items were incorporated to specifically address female-centric issues such as body image, partner satisfaction, and sexual anxiety. The instrument utilizes a Likert-type format, requiring respondents to rate the frequency or satisfaction associated with various behaviors. Statistical analysis confirmed that the scale is structured around three primary factors: Sexual Desire, Sexual Activity, and Sexual Satisfaction.

Keywords

Sexual Functioning, BISF-W, Sexual Desire, Sexual Activity, Sexual Satisfaction, Female Sexuality, Self-Report Inventory, Psychometric Scale, Sexual Dysfunction.

Authors

Raymond C. Rosen, Jennifer F. Taylor, Sandra R. Leiblum.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Brief Index of Sexual Functioning for Women (BISF-W) is to provide a concise, standardized, and reliable self-report instrument for measuring overall sexual function in women. This development was crucial because existing self-report measures prior to the BISF-W’s inception were often either too restrictive in scope or too lengthy, making them unsuitable for efficient deployment in extensive clinical trials or large epidemiological studies.

The scale was explicitly designed to be comparable to the Brief Sexual Function Questionnaire (BSFQ) developed for men, ensuring a parallel assessment tool across sexes. It aims to provide a reliable assessment across key dimensions of female sexual experience, including desire, arousal, orgasm, and overall satisfaction, which were often inadequately covered by previous instruments.

Construct

The BISF-W is designed to measure the multifaceted construct of female sexual function. While the instrument covers specific components like sexual desire, arousal, orgasm, and satisfaction through its 22 items, it also includes dimensions tailored to the female experience, such as the impact of health problems, sexual anxiety, and issues related to body image and partner satisfaction.

The scale items, primarily based on a Likert-type format, quantify the frequency of occurrence of desire, arousal, or satisfaction associated with common sexual behaviors. Based on a principal components analysis, the underlying construct is represented by three distinct, primary factors: Sexual Desire, Sexual Activity, and Sexual Satisfaction.

Validity

The validity of the BISF-W was established through analyses of construct validity, specifically focusing on social desirability bias and concurrent validity against a recognized comprehensive measure.

To evaluate potential response bias, the BISF-W factor scores were compared against the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (1964). Researchers found no significant correlations, indicating that responses to the BISF-W are not substantially biased by the effects of social desirability. Concurrent validity was demonstrated by correlating BISF-W factor scores with corresponding subscales of the Derogatis Sexual Function Inventory (DSFI) (1975)—a much longer, 261-item measure. Correlations between the BISF-W factors and DSFI subscales were consistently positive, ranging from .59 to .69. Furthermore, Item 16, which specifically measures body image, showed a significant correlation with the DSFI Body Image Scale (r = .62, p < .001), reinforcing the instrument’s ability to accurately measure its intended constructs.

Reliability

Reliability was assessed using a sample of 269 women ranging in age from 20 to 73. Both test-retest reliability and internal consistency were evaluated over a one-month interval.

The test-retest reliability of the overall factor scores, determined using Pearson correlation coefficients, demonstrated acceptable temporal stability, ranging from .68 to .78. Internal consistency was measured via Cronbach alpha coefficients for each factor scale. These coefficients ranged from a low of .39 for Factor 1 (Sexual Desire) to a high of .83 for Factor 2 (Sexual Activity). The authors noted that the relatively low consistency observed for Factor 1 was attributed to the split loading of several items with other factors.

Factor Analysis

A principal components analysis was performed on the 22 items of the BISF-W to identify the underlying structure of female sexual function being measured. This analysis successfully identified three major, distinct factors that represent the core constructs of the instrument.

The three resulting factors were labeled based on their item composition: Sexual Desire, Sexual Activity, and Sexual Satisfaction. These factors are scored independently. Furthermore, items 1, 2, 21, 22 (concerning partner status and sexual orientation) and Item 16 (concerning body image) are scored individually outside of these primary factor aggregates.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Report Inventory / Psychological Screening Tool

Format: 22 items, primarily using a Likert-type format to rate frequency or satisfaction.

Language Available: English (Original development language).

Population Group: Adult Women.

Age Group: 20 to 73 years (based on initial reliability sample).

Population Details: Used for assessment of sexual functioning in clinical populations and community-based adult women (e.g., sample of 329 women from an outpatient gynecological clinic).

Test Methodology: Respondents are required to circle the single best answer to each question. The inventory takes approximately 10–15 minutes to complete.

Keywords

Psychometrics, Women’s Health, Clinical Assessment, Self-Assessment, Body Image, Orgasm, Arousal, Sexual Orientation, Concurrent Validity.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected] (for Raymond C. Rosen).

Correspondence Address: Raymond C. Rosen, New England Research Institutes, Inc., 9 Galen Street, Watertown, MA 02472.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was developed by Raymond C. Rosen, Jennifer F. Taylor, and Sandra R. Leiblum, affiliated with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. The foundational psychometric validation was published in 1993 (Rosen, Taylor, Leiblum, & Bachmann, 1993).

The source content notes that the related comprehensive scale, the Derogatis Sexual Functioning Inventory (DSFI), may be obtained through the MAPI Institute (http://www.mapi-institute.com/). Specific permission and fee details for the BISF-W itself are not provided in the original text.

Reference’s

• Crowne, D. P., & Marlowe, D. (1964). The approval motive: Studies in evaluative dependence. New York: Wiley.

• Derogatis, L. R. (1975). Derogatis Sexual Functioning Inventory (DSFI): Preliminary scoring manual. Baltimor, MD: Clinical Psychometric Research Inc.

• Howell, J. R., Reynolds, C. F., Thase, M. E., Frank, E., Jennings, J. R., Houck, P. R., Berman, S., Jacobs, E., & Kupfer, D. J. (1987). Assessment of sexual function, interest, and activity in depressed men. Journal of Affective Disorders, 13, 61–66.

• Reynolds, C. F., Frank, E., Thase, M. E., Houck, P. R., Jennings, J. R., Howell, J. R., Lilienfeld, S. O., & Kupfer, D. J. (1988). Assessment of sexual function in depressed, impotent, and healthy men: Factor analysis of a Brief Sexual Function Questionnaire for men. Psychiatric Research, 24, 231–250.

• Rosen, R. C., Taylor, J. F., Leiblum, S. R., & Bachmann, G. A. (1993). Prevalence of sexual dysfunction in women: Results of a survey study of 329 women in an outpatient gynecological clinic. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 19, 171–188.

Items of the Brief Index of Sexual Functioning for Women

The original items of the Brief Index of Sexual Functioning for Women (BISF-W) were not explicitly listed in the source material provided. However, the scoring structure identifies the item allocation across factors:

• Items for the Sexual Desire factor are 3, 6, 8, 14, and 20.

• Items for the Sexual Activity factor are 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, and 17.

• Items for the Sexual Satisfaction factor are 6, 9, 10, 15, 18, and 19.

• Item 16 is used independently as a measure of body image.

• Items 1, 2, 21, and 22 assess the presence of a sexual partner, sexual activity during the past month, and the respondent’s sexual orientation, in terms of both experience and desire. These items are individually scored.