Sexual Health in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: Experiences, Needs and Communication with Health Care Professionals

Abstract

Pain, fatigue and decreased joint mobility caused by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) often decrease sexual health in RA patients. Regular physiotherapy interventions in patients with RA are often aimed at improving those factors. The aim of the present study was to explore the experiences and views of patients concerning the impact of RA on their sexual health, the possible impact of physiotherapy interventions, and communication in clinical situations. A self-administered questionnaire was sent to patients with RA at two rehabilitation clinics in Sweden. The questionnaire included questions concerning the impact of RA on intimate relationships and sexual function, as well as experiences of physiotherapy and sexual health communication with health professionals. The questionnaire was answered by 63 patients. The majority of the patients thought that pain, stiffness, fatigue and physical capacity were related to sexual health. Communication between health professionals and patients about sexual health was less common, even if the desire for communication about sexual health was higher in this study than in other studies. The authors concluded that physiotherapists need to be aware that pain, fatigue, decreased joint mobility and physical capacity can affect sexual health and that physiotherapy can make a difference in sexual health in patients with RA. The impact of RA on sexual health is rarely discussed by health professionals and RA patients, and needs greater attention.

Sexual dysfunction and its determinants in Moroccan women with rheumatoid arthritis

“…Two large surveys conducted by patient's organizations in France evaluating respectively 7,700 and 1,200 patients with RA who completed the questionnaires show that 51% of patients reported an adverse impact of this disease on their Sexuality [22], 70% reported a negative impact of the disease on their sexuality and 72% reported never having discussed their sexuality issues with a health care professional [23]. On the other hand, sexual health of patients is still rarely evaluated during medical visits [11] even if 56% of RA patients think that sexual health is a very important subject [3]. A recent study shows that rheumatologists assessed sexual activity in only 12% of their patients.…”

“…Fatigue, pain and decreased joint mobility caused by this rheumatic disorder often influence sexual health of patients [3]. RA can affect sexual function due to many reasons: Pain, stiffness, physical restrictions and fatigue are the major complaints of these patients.…”

Health Care Students’ Attitudes Towards Working with Sexual Health in Their Professional Roles: Survey of Students at Nursing, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Programmes

“…Sexual health is strongly related to feelings of well-being and general health (Field et al, 2013;Lindau & Gavrilova, 2010;Ratner, Erekson, Minkin, & Foran-Tuller, 2011), and previous research has shown that rehabilitation can promote sexual health (Kristina Areskoug- Josefsson & Gard, 2015;K. Areskoug-Josefsson & Oberg, 2009;Egan et al, 2013;Josefsson & Gard, 2012;Rosenbaum, 2006). To provide sufficient sexual health rehabilitation, health care professionals need not only to recognize the biomedical view of sexual health, which is common among health professionals, but also to incorporate in their caring practice the biopsychosocial model of sexual health (Papaharitou et al, 2008;Penwell-Waines et al, 2014).…”

Assessment of Marital Adjustment and Sexuality in Women With Rheumatoid Arthritis

“…And patients, relatives and even doctors frequently ignored or did not examine the problems in sexuality. 31,41 Likewise, Josefson et al 42 reported a rate of 75% for those who did not talk about their sexual problems.…”