Most Men and Women with Celiac Disease Suffer from Sexual Dysfunction

Celiac.com 05/02/2022 - Patients with chronic illnesses often suffer from sexual function. Many patients with chronic gastrointestinal and liver disorders also suffer from sexual dysfunction, but little study has been done on celiac patients, even though celiac disease is a highly common gastroenterological disorder that can cause multiple nutrient deficiencies. A team of researchers recently set out to investigate the sexual function incidence and the risk factors for sexual dysfunction in both male and female celiac disease patients.

For their cross-sectional observational study, the team anonymously included two hundred and eighty-four patients, with 170 females, and 114 males. The team evaluated female sexual function through the Female Sexual Function Index questionnaire. 

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They used the International Index of Erectile Function-5 questionnaire to assess male sexual function. They also recorded clinical-demographic information for both groups. To figure out overall rates and assessment of sexual dysfunction in this group of celiac disease patients. They then compared differences in the patient-reported outcomes among the different subgroups, looking for clinical-demographic predictors of sexual dysfunction.

Half of the women's group had a total score compatible with sexual dysfunction: nearly half showed low desire, half showed inability to obtain orgasm, nearly eighty percent showed arousal disorder, two-thirds reported lubrication disorder, and a whopping 94.70%, showed sexual discomfort during intercourse. 

Meanwhile, more than sixty percent of the men's group showed scores marking erectile function, with seven percent of those showing mild erectile dysfunction, more than twenty percent mild to moderate erectile dysfunction, and just under three percent showing severe erectile dysfunction. 

In both male and female patient groups, sexual dysfunction was also associated with altered body mass index. 

Most celiac disease patients suffer from sexual dysfunction. Early age at the time of diagnosis was a major predictor of sexual dysfunction in male celiac patients. That is, the younger the patient at celiac diagnosis, the greater the likelihood that the patient will later suffer sexual dysfunction.

Because of this the research team recommends assessment of sexual function as part of initial celiac disease patient assessment, to ensure prompt diagnosis and treatment for any dysfunction.

Read more in Andrology

The research team included Lorenzo Romano, Raffaele Pellegrino, Carmine Sciorio, Biagio Barone, Antonietta Gerarda Gravina, Antonio Santonastaso, Caterina Mucherino, Silvia Astretto, Luigi Napolitano, Achille Aveta,Savio Domenico Pandolfo, Davide Loizzo, Francesco Del Giudice, Matteo Ferro, Ciro Imbimbo, Marco Romano, and Felice Crocetto. They are variously affiliated with the Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Odontostomatology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy; the Hepato-Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy; the Urology Unit, ASST “Alessandro Manzoni” Hospital, Lecco, Italy; the Gastroenterology Unit, “Sant'Anna and San Sebastiano” Hospital, Caserta, Italy; the Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, VCU Health, Richmond, Virginia, USA; the Urology, Andrology and Kidney Transplantation Unit, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy; the Department of Maternal-Infant and Urological Sciences, Policlinico “Umberto I” Hospital, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Rome, Italy; and the Department of Urology, Stanford Medical Center, Stanford, California, USA.