Prevalence of Sexual Dysfunction In Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Olga Maria Nardone; Giulio Calabrese; Luisa Bertin; Alexander C Ford; Fabiana Castiglione; Fabiana Zingone; Edoardo Savarino; Brigida Barberio

doi:10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjae133

Prevalence of Sexual Dysfunction In Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

J Crohns Colitis. 2024 Aug 26:jjae133. doi: 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjae133. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Olga Maria Nardone¹, Giulio Calabrese², Luisa Bertin³, Alexander C Ford^{4

5}, Fabiana Castiglione², Fabiana Zingone³, Edoardo Savarino³, Brigida Barberio³

Affiliations

¹ Gastroenterology, Department of Public Health University Federico II of Naples, Naples Italy.
² Gastroenterology, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University Federico II of Naples, Naples Italy.
³ Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Azienda-Ospedale Università di Padova, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
⁴ Leeds Gastroenterology Institute, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK.
⁵ Leeds Institute of Medical Research at St. James's, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.

PMID: 39185800
DOI: 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjae133

Abstract

Background & aim: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may experience symptoms of sexual dysfunction (SD). However, the magnitude of this problem remains uncertain. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the prevalence of SD in adult patients with IBD.

Methods: MEDLINE EMBASE, EMBASE Classic (from inception to 9th April 2024) were searched to identify observational studies reporting the prevalence of SD in adult patients with IBD based on validated screening instruments. Data were extracted, and pooled prevalence (PP), odds ratios (OR), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.

Results: Of 1017 citations evaluated, 18 articles fulfilled eligibility criteria, containing 2,694 patients with IBD recruited from 13 different countries. The PP of SD in IBD patients was 50.6% (95% CI=40.8%-60.5%; I2=96.3%) with an OR=2.94 (95% CI=1.99-4.35, I2=73.4) compared to healthy controls. When we considered UC or CD separately, the PP of SD was 64.8% (95% CI=45.1%-82.1%; I2=88.8%) in patients with UC, and 58.3% (95% CI=36.0%-79.0%; I2=95.3%) in patients with CD. In the subgroup analysis based on sex, the PP of SD was higher in females with IBD than in males (62.7% vs 34.0%; OR=3.99, 95% CI=2.80-5.68; I2=61.7%,). Furthermore, the PP of SD was higher in patients with active disease than patients with inactive disease (75.1% vs 34.2%; OR=9.65, 95% CI=1.02-91.33, I2=95.5%).

Conclusion: We demonstrated high prevalence of SD in IBD patients, especially in women. Encouraging gastroenterologists to screen for, and treat, these disorders with a holistic approach might improve quality of life of patients with IBD.

Keywords: inflammatory bowel disease; sexual dysfunction; sexuality.

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