For all the men out there, show patience when she turns you down tonight, for she may simply be suffering from a genuine headache that is preventing her from enjoying sex.

A new Italian study suggests that headaches or migraines may be a risk factor for female sexual dysfunction. The University of Pavia study of 100 sexually active women aged 40 on average revealed that more than 90% of the participants with mild to severe headache problems suffered from tell-tale signs of female sexual dysfunction, including lack of libido and painful intercourse.

Of those studied, 29% reported having serious problems in their sex lives, the study authors noted, urging physicians to regularly screen for FSD in women seeking treatment for headaches.

The researchers quizzed the participants about their sex lives and health issues and also asked them to give neurological tests. On completion of the trials, it was found that about 20% of the subjects had hypoactive sexual desire disorder and faced libido problems more frequently than the rest of the women in the study group.

The link between headache and female sexual dysfunction is not clearly understood as of now and further research is required to fully unravel the mystery, the study authors concluded, leaving with the conjecture that headaches often trigger mood swings – a sure killer of sex drive and sexual satisfaction.