PAH Disrupts Women’s Sex Lives
Women with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) report substantial disruption in sexual health-related quality of life, with 92% experiencing sex less often after their diagnosis. The researchers shared their findings in an abstract presented at the American College of Chest Physicians’ CHEST Annual Meeting 2020.
“Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a progressive debilitating disease causing marked limitations in physical function and quality of life. As myriad treatment options allow patients to live longer, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) becomes an increasingly important component of disease management,” the researchers wrote. “While HRQoL is a focus of recent research, sexual HRQoL in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension is not well understood.”
The qualitative analysis followed the researchers’ previously reported data that found increased sexual distress and dysfunction among women treated with intravenous or subcutaneous therapies. To better characterize sexual HRQoL in the patient population, the researchers interviewed 13 women with self-identified World Health Organization Group 1 PAH for 60 to 90 minutes each.
Nearly one-third of the women not only experienced fear of having sex but also guilt over decreased sexual frequency and increased partner burden, according to the study. All 6 participants taking subcutaneous or intravenous pumps said they had adjusted behaviors and strategies involving sexual intercourse. Some women taking subcutaneous infusions timed intercourse when therapy was briefly suspended for site changes. Women also reported changing sexual positions to reduce breathlessness and removing oxygen to avoid intimacy interruptions.
Negative body image was common and reported by most women. Yet despite major disruptions in their sexual health, 38% said they had never discussed sexual practices with a health care provider.
“This study highlights the need for further mixed methods research specifically addressing patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, as well as the need for specific counseling and provider training in sexual HRQoL within this population,” researchers advised.
—Jolynn Tumolo
Reference:
Yee D, Banerjee D, Getz M, et al. Sexual health-related quality of life in women with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Paper presented at: CHEST Annual Meeting 2020; October 18-21, 2020; Virtual. Accessed November 11, 2020. https://journal.chestnet.org/article/S0012-3692(20)34089-7/fulltext