Sexuality of Male Adolescents and Adults with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Review Article


Cláudia Goldenstein‐Schainberg and Lilian de Avila Lima Souza

Affiliation: Rheumatology Division, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil


ABSTRACT

Sexuality is an important component in a person’s life, including patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). This chronic inflammatory joint disease affects over 0.1% of children worldwide, and persistent chronic synovitis plays a major role in the development of joint damage, growth, and limb disturbances contributing to functional disability, which may all impair sexual life. During adulthood, signs and symptoms of active disease may remain, causing physical and psychological effects, which may influence sexual behavior. In fact, sexuality as a quality of life issue is important for a person’s complete and satisfying life as a whole. Although this subject is an often neglected area of quality of life among patients with rheumatic disorders, sexual function is influenced by many relevant disease‐associated aspects such as fatigue, pain, stiffness, functional impairment, depression, anxiety, negative body image, hormonal imbalance, drug treatment, and reduced libido. Therefore, because JIA affects not only the musculoskeletal but also other organ systems and psychological aspects, this disease may have a relevant impact and influence patients’ sexuality, especially when adolescence and adulthood are reached, which will be discussed in this review.

Keywords: Sexuality, JIA, sexual function, quality of life, functional impairment
Correspondence: Claudia Goldenstein‐Schainberg, Disciplina de Reumatologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Dr. Arnaldo 455, sala 3133, São Paulo, SP, Brasil, 01246‐903. Tel/Fax: (55)‐11‐3061‐7490; e‐mail: cgs@usp.br; cgschain@uol.com.br