Sexual activity in ankylosing spondylitis.

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Sexual Health
• Quality of Life

Background:

• Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the spine.
• AS can lead to significant pain, fatigue, and functional limitations.
• The impact of AS on sexual activity and satisfaction is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess sexual activity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.
• To correlate sexual activity with disease activity and functional indices.
• To compare sexual experiences between AS patients and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-two AS patients and 32 healthy controls were evaluated.
• Assessments included pain, fatigue, sexual activity (using visual aids for positions), disease activity (BASDAI), and functional capacity (BASFI).
• Patients were grouped based on the presence (Group A) or absence (Group B) of sexual activity.

Main Results:

• Group B (no sexual activity) showed a correlation with longer disease duration, higher BASFI, and higher BASDAI scores.
• The 'man on back, woman on top' position was most frequent, enjoyable, and least painful.
• Controls reported higher frequency of sexual activity, longer duration, and less pain/fatigue, with similar orgasm frequency.

Conclusions:

• Chronic ankylosing spondylitis, characterized by poor functional capacity and high disease activity, interferes with sexual intercourse.
• Despite challenges, sexual satisfaction and orgasm frequency were not diminished when sexual activity was achievable.
• Findings highlight the importance of addressing sexual health in AS management.