Sexual dysfunction in patients with systemic sclerosis

Background/aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of systemic sclerosis (SSc) on quality of life and sexual function in female patients. Materials and methods: The study included 30 sexually active female patients with SSc and 30 healthy control subjects. For all participants in both the patient and control groups, the female sexual index and SF-36 forms were completed and a detailed medical and sexual history was taken. Results: The mean age was 45.03 +/- 9.22 years in the SSc group and 44.6 +/- 11.52 years in the control group (P = 0.87). The SF-36 scores in the patient group were significantly lower than those in the control group. Sexual dysfunction was found in 26/30 (86.6%) of the SSc patients and in 6/30 (20%) of the control group (P = 0.0001). Significant differences were determined between the groups with respect to sexual desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, sexual satisfaction, and pain. There was no significant relationship between the subgroups of SSc patients, duration of disease, lung involvement, and FSFI scores. Conclusion: Sexual dysfunction and lower health quality are common problems in female patients with systemic sclerosis.