Sexual Satisfaction in Women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and its Related Factors

Abstract

Objectives:Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem autoimmune disease and causes extensive inflammation and tissue damage in various organs of the body. This disease causes sexual dysfunction due to physiological, cognitive and mental effects and thus reduces sexual satisfaction of couples. Sexual satisfaction increases the quality of life of couples and increases their intimacy. The aim of this study was to investigate factors that contribute to sexual satisfaction in women suffering from SLE.Methods:In this crosssectional study convenience sampling was used to select among women suffering from SLE (18-46 years) residing in Tehran (n=101). A demographic questionnaire, the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales - 21 Items (DASS-21), and the Larson's sexual satisfaction questionnaire were applied to collect the data. Data were analyzed with SPSS 23 using Spearman's correlation coefficient in order to evaluate the correlation between the subscales; p-values less than 0.05 were considered significant.Results:The mean age in the participant was 34.7 ( ± 6.1) years. The results of this study showed that the mean score of sexual satisfaction in women with lupus was 93.45. Forty nine patients (48.5%) reported that have an average sexual satisfaction (score of 76 to 100). Moreover, the effect of SLE on the sexual satisfaction had a significant negative correlation (according to Spearman's correlation test) with patient and spouse age, age at diagnosis, contraception, drugs, stress, anxiety, and depression (p<0.05). Also Spearman's correlation test showed a significant positive correlation between economic status, number of times of sex per month and sexual satisfaction (p<0.05). Conclusion:Since SLE is a chronic inflammatory disease and has periods of remission and exacerbation of symptoms, and according to the results of the present study, it is recommended to pay more attention to sexual satisfaction of women suffering from SLE as a dimension of general health. It is recommended to promote sexual satisfaction by considering the biopsychosocial model.