RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Effect of Musculoskeletal Pain on Sexuality of Male Adolescents and Adults with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
JF The Journal of Rheumatology
JO J Rheumatol
FD The Journal of Rheumatology
SP 1337
OP 1342
DO 10.3899/jrheum.080867
VO 36
IS 6
A1 LILIAN de AVILA LIMA SOUZA
A1 ANDREA LOPES GALLINARO
A1 CARMITA HELENA NAJJAR ABDO
A1 SÉRGIO CANDIDO KOWALSKI
A1 RICARDO MAISSE SUEHIRO
A1 CLÓVIS ARTUR ALMEIDA da SILVA
A1 CLÁUDIA GOLDENSTEIN-SCHAINBERG
YR 2009
UL http://www.jrheum.org/content/36/6/1337.abstract
AB Objective. To develop a questionnaire for the evaluation of sexuality of male patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Methods. A cohort of male patients with rheumatoid factor (RF)-negative polyarticular JIA according to the 2004 revised ILAR criteria and inactive disease was studied. The Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) was applied to all patients. As a control group, 120 age-matched males of the same socioeconomic status were evaluated. A self-administered structured instrument, the Male Sexual Evaluation Questionnaire (MSEQ), was developed by multiprofessional experts to assess sexual life, including satisfaction, practice, and related functional aspects. Results. Thirty-two male patients with RF-negative polyarticular JIA [mean age 20.8 ± 3.8 yrs (range 16–26), mean disease duration 15.4 ± 3.6 yrs (range 13–20)] were studied. Mean HAQ score was 1.25 ± 0.67 (range 0.1–2.1). Masturbation was practiced similarly by patients and controls (87.5% vs 91%; p > 0.999), although joint pain was observed in only 2 (7%) patients. Regular sexual intercourse (≥ once/week) was reported by 78% of patients and 62% of controls (p = 0.86). Joint pain during intercourse was more frequent in patients (48% vs 3% in controls; p < 0.001). The mean HAQ score was higher in the 12 patients with joint pain (hips = 3, knees = 5, and hips + knees = 4) during intercourse compared to the 13 patients without joint pain (1.82 ± 0.27 vs 1.43 ± 0.32; p < 0.05). Preserved desire and satisfaction were universal findings for all JIA patients and controls. Conclusion. The MSEQ was applicable to this cohort of male patients with RF-negative polyarticular JIA and showed that sexual life is preserved despite longterm disease, morbidity/functional dysfunction, and joint pain.