Title:Patient-Reported Outcomes for the Assessment of Sexual Health Among
Patients Affected by Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Volume: 17
Issue: 4
Author(s): Daniela Pugliese*, Laura Parisio*, Tommaso Schepis, Giuseppe Privitera, Valentin Calvez, Antonio Gasbarrini and Alessandro Armuzzi
Affiliation:
- CEMAD, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unit, Unità Operativa Complessa di Medicina Interna e Gastroenterologia,
Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, Rome,
Italy
- CEMAD, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unit, Unità Operativa Complessa di Medicina Interna e Gastroenterologia,
Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, Rome,
Italy
Keywords:
Inflammatory bowel disease, sexual health, sexual dysfunction, patient-reported outcomes, IBD patients, sexual life.
Abstract:
Patients affected by inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) frequently report impaired
quality of sexual life and complain of sexual dysfunctions. Both disease-specific features and
psychological factors can be held responsible for these conditions. However, sexuality and all
matters relating to sexual health are often wrongfully considered unrelated to IBD and, therefore,
overlooked during medical visits. To overcome these difficulties and to best assess patients’ perceptions
about their sexual health status, the use of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) could represent
a valid strategy. In real-world studies, several non-IBD specific questionnaires, exploring
different domains of sexuality, have been applied and validated for the IBD population.
This review summarizes the available evidence on sexual health among IBD patients and the data
supporting the application of PROs to screen the quality of sexual life, as well as the rate and
types of sexual dysfunctions, among IBD patients.
