Patient-Reported Outcomes for the Assessment of Sexual Health Among
Patients Affected by Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Daniela      Pugliese; Laura      Parisio; Tommaso      Schepis; Giuseppe      Privitera; Valentin      Calvez; Antonio      Gasbarrini; Alessandro      Armuzzi

doi:10.2174/1574887117666220630114054

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.

Keywords: Inflammatory bowel disease, sexual health, sexual dysfunction, patient-reported outcomes, IBD patients, sexual life.

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DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1574887117666220630114054	Print ISSN 1574-8871
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