Prevalence and severity of sexual dysfunctions in patients with selected rheumatic diseases and the effect of specialized physiotherapeutic intervention on the sexual health of these patients

Introduction: Rare rheumatic diseases, such as systemic sclerosis (SSc) and idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM), are severe autoimmune diseases characterized by multiorgan involvement and often significant functional impairment that are chronic and progressive in nature. Severe clinical manifestations of SSc and IIM are often associated with significant deterioration of all aspects of quality of life, including sexual function. Only a low number of studies have addressed sexual health in patients with SSc and IIM, which are limited by small sample size, the use of non-standardized scales, or poor methodological quality. In addition, none of the studies evaluated pelvic floor function and its relationship to sexual function in patients with these diseases. Objectives: The aim of this work was a cross-sectional evaluation of the prevalence and severity of sexual dysfunction and pelvic floor dysfunction in women and men with SSc and IIM compared to sex-/age-matched healthy controls (HC). Furthermore, we aimed to evaluate the association between sexual dysfunction/pelvic floor dysfunction and disease-related features. Finally, our goal within the pilot project was to evaluate the effect of an 8-week physiotherapy program on sexual function in women with SSc and IIM. Methods: This work consists of...