Systematic Review of the Impact of Inflammatory Arthritis on Intimate Relationships and Sexual Function

Abstract

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Chronic Primary or Secondary Noninflammatory Musculoskeletal Pain and Disrupted Sexual Function and Relationships: A Systematic Review

“…Our findings highlight the wide-ranging impacts of chronic musculoskeletal pain on both sexes, including impacts on physiologic (e.g., sexual organ dysfunction), functional (e.g., compromised ability to engage in intercourse), social (e.g., relationship and familial disharmony), and psychological domains (e.g., impaired sexual identity and self-worth) relevant to sexual function (3). While these data were acquired from cohorts with chronic primary pain (CWP and chronic primary musculoskeletal pain) and chronic secondary musculoskeletal pain (associated with OA and structural changes), they corroborate the findings of our previous review involving cohorts with chronic secondary musculoskeletal pain associated with persistent inflammation (10). Disease-specific differences were identified between the reviews (e.g., impacts aligned to disease-related fatigue and stiffness and a fluctuating course in patients with inflammatory arthritis); however, the collective findings highlight the multidimensional association between chronic musculoskeletal pain and sexual function.…”

Experiences of sexual health in persons with hip and knee osteoarthritis: a qualitative study

“…There were some participants in this study who said that their sexual health was not affected at all. The extent to which sexual health is affected by OA may be related to the impact of the disease and ordinary circumstances in life, but it may also reflect the dynamics of individual relationships [15]. It may also be in line with the findings from a previous qualitative study in persons with RA who described that their sexual life was impaired when RA first appeared, but over the years they had found ways of adapting to their new situation [29].…”

“…Since sexual dysfunction appears to be highly prevalent among both men and women with inflammatory arthritis [ 15 ] and OA [ 18 – 21 ], increased clinician awareness of this impairment is needed to guide provision of tailored information and support [ 32 ]. In the present study, as well as in earlier research [ 8 , 29 , 30 , 33 ], patients have stated that health care professionals do not include sexual health in their assessment or interventions without prompting.…”

Experiences of Sexual Health in Persons with Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis from A Physiotherapeutic Perspective: A Qualitative Study

“…The extent to which sexual health is affected by OA may be related to the impact of the disease and ordinary circumstances in life, but it may also reflect the dynamics of individual relationships [15]. It may also be in line with the findings from a previous qualitative study in persons with RA who described that their sexual life was impaired when RA first appeared, but over the years they had found ways of adapting to their new situation [26].…”

“…Since sexual dysfunction appears to be highly prevalent among both men and women with inflammatory arthritis [15] and OA [16][17][18][19], increased clinician awareness of this impairment is needed to guide provision of tailored information and support. In the present study, as well as in earlier research [8,26,27,29], patients have stated that health care professionals do not include sexual health in their assessment or interventions without prompting.…”