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Sexual Function Questionnaire
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About Sexual Function Questionnaire
Scale Name
Sexual Function Questionnaire (commonly identified as the Massachusetts General Hospital Sexual Functioning Questionnaire [MGH-SFQ])
Author Details
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) team
Translation Availability
English
Background/Description
The Sexual Function Questionnaire (SFQ) is a self-report instrument designed to assess sexual functioning and dysfunction across key domains of the sexual response cycle. The original MGH version was developed to provide a concise, clinically applicable measure of sexual interest, arousal, orgasmic ability, and sexual satisfaction for both men and women in general and clinical populations.
The instrument is beneficial because sexual functioning is a significant facet of overall mental and physical well-being, yet often under-assessed in medical and psychological settings. The SFQ offers a brief, validated tool for screening and monitoring changes over time or post-intervention. Its psychometric validation shows it has strong reliability and construct validity in multiple cultural contexts.
Thus for your website’s “Psychological Scale/Assessment” category, this questionnaire is appropriate for highlighting assessment of sexual functioning as part of psychological and health screening.
Administration, Scoring and Interpretation
- Obtain the copy: Acquire the official version of the SFQ/MGH-SFQ via the publisher or authorized distribution (e.g., clinically licensed version).
- Explain the purpose: Clarify to respondents that the questionnaire addresses their sexual functioning (interest, arousal, orgasm, satisfaction) and is confidential.
- Provide instructions: Respondents complete the self-report questionnaire according to provided items, reflecting their recent sexual experiences (time-frame may vary by version, e.g., past 4 weeks) and marking responses typically on Likert-type or categorical scales.
- Approximate time: Completion usually takes 5–10 minutes, depending on number of items and respondent speed.
- Administer the scale:
- Distribute questionnaire to participant (self-administered or via clinician).
- Respondent completes items; ensure privacy and appropriate setting given sensitive content.
- Collect and score responses according to manual instructions.
- Interpret total score and/or sub-domain scores (if version provides them) to assess level of sexual functioning or dysfunction.
- Follow-up: Use results to monitor baseline status, treatment outcome, or referral need for sexual dysfunction assessment.
Reliability and Validity
- The Spanish validation of the MGH-SFQ found a unidimensional structure explaining ~71.3% variance in men and ~83.6% in women; internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) was .90 for men and .93 for women.
- In Mexican elderly sample, psychometric properties remained adequate (RMSEA ~0.03-0.04; CFI ~0.92-0.95) demonstrating structural validity in older populations.
- Broadly, the instrument shows strong internal reliability (alpha values in the high .80s to .90s) and good convergent validity with other sexual satisfaction, desire and arousal measures.
- Limitations: Some versions have fewer items (e.g., 5-item short version) and may cover slightly different domains; ensure you know which version you are using.
- The questionnaire is not a full clinical diagnostic instrument for all sexual dysfunctions, but a screening/monitoring tool.
Available Versions
19-Items
Reference
Sierra, J. C., Vallejo-Medina, P., Santos-Iglesias, P., & Fernández, M. L. (2012). Validación del Massachusetts General Hospital-Sexual Functioning Questionnaire (MGH-SFQ) en población española. Atención Primaria, 44(9), 516-524.
Important Link
Scale File:
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What does the SFQ measure?
It assesses sexual interest/desire, arousal, orgasmic function, and sexual satisfaction/dysfunction in men and women.
Q2: Who can complete it?
Typically adult individuals (men or women) who are willing to self-report on sexual functioning; may be used in clinical or research settings.
Q3: How long is the time-frame for responses?
Most versions ask respondents to reflect on the past 4 weeks, but you should check the specific version’s instructions.
Q4: Is this tool diagnostic of sexual dysfunction?
No — it is a screening/assessment tool. Positive results should prompt further clinical evaluation.
Q5: Can it be used in my local context (e.g., Urdu language, Pakistan)?
Yes — but you must ensure you use a validated translation and cultural adaptation. If no official Urdu version exists, you may need to undertake translation/back-translation and pilot testing.
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