Sexual Distress, Sexual Dysfunction and Relationship Quality in Women with Systemic Sclerosis: Correlation with Clinical Variables

• Published in: International journal of immunopathology and pharmacology 2014-04, Vol.27 (2), p.279-285
• Main Authors: Rosato, E., Rossi, C., Molinaro, I., Digiulio, M.A., Trombetta, A.C., Marra, A.M., Gigante, A., Barbano, B., Quarta, S., Pisarri, S., Afeltra, A., Salsano, F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Female; Hand Dermatoses - diagnosis; Hand Dermatoses - etiology; Hand Dermatoses - psychology; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Microscopic Angioscopy; Middle Aged; Personal Satisfaction; Quality of Life; Risk Factors; Scleroderma, Diffuse - complications; Scleroderma, Diffuse - diagnosis; Scleroderma, Diffuse - psychology; Scleroderma, Limited - complications; Scleroderma, Limited - diagnosis; Scleroderma, Limited - psychology; Sexual Behavior; Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological - diagnosis; Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological - etiology; Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological - psychology; Skin Ulcer - diagnosis; Skin Ulcer - etiology; Skin Ulcer - psychology; Stress, Psychological - diagnosis; Stress, Psychological - etiology; Stress, Psychological - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 0394-6320; 2058-7384
• DOI: 10.1177/039463201402700216

To assess the rate of sexual distress, sexual dysfunction and relationship quality and their association with clinical variables in women with systemic sclerosis (SSc), 102 sexually active women with SSc were recruited. Sexual distress, sexual dysfunction and dissatisfaction with relationship quality were investigated by Female Sexual Distress Scale Revised (FSDS-R), Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), respectively. The patients underwent medical examinations and nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC). Of the 102 patients, 37 (36%) reported sexual distress with FSDS-R score >11, 45 (44%) had sexual dysfunction with FSFI score