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Psychological Distress in Women With Uterovaginal Agenesis (Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser Syndrome, MRKH)

Received March 18, 2007; revised June 27, 2007; accepted July 3, 2007. From The National Centre for Adolescent and Adult Women with Congenital Abnormalities of the Genital Tract, Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea Hospital, London, UK, and the City University, Section on Eating Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK. Send correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Jacoline Heller-Boersma, "Scaling Your Mountains" Therapeutic Practice, 11 Gregory St., (The Attic Rm., Sandy Bay Holistic Veterinary Centre) Sandy Bay, Hobart, 7005, Tasmania, Australia. e-mail: scalingyourmountains{at}bigpond.com
© 2009 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine

BACKGROUND: Uterovaginal agenesis (Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser Syndrome; MRKH) is a congenital nonformation of the vagina and the uterus, but with normal ovaries. OBJECTIVE: The authors investigated the psychological impact of this disorder, about which very little is known. METHOD: A group of 66 women with MRKH were compared with 31 control-group women on a range of self-rating scales assessing psychological distress and self-esteem. RESULTS: Women with MRKH had significantly more pathological scores on some of the scales and subscales, such as phobic anxiety and psychoticism (interpersonal alienation), with a similar trend for subscales measuring depression and anxiety. CONCLUSION: MRKH has a lasting negative impact on affected women’s level of psychological distress and self-esteem.

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