Characteristics of psychosexual functioning in adults with cerebral palsy.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the characteristics of psychosexual functioning in adults with cerebral palsy, as compared with able-bodied control subjects, matched by gender and marital status, and to identify the factors affecting psychosexual functioning.


METHODS
Interview and survey using the Derogatis Sexual Functioning Inventory (DSFI).


METHODS
Inpatient and outpatient units in a rehabilitation hospital and welfare facilities.


METHODS
Sixty-two adults with cerebral palsy and 142 age-matched able-bodied controls participated in this study. The participants were grouped into four subgroups according to gender and marital status.


METHODS
General characteristics of the subjects, 10 domain scores of the DSFI and Sexual Functioning Index (SFI) as a global score were assessed. The scores for each cerebral palsy group according to gender and marital status were compared with those of their corresponding able-bodied control group.


RESULTS
Unmarried men with cerebral palsy demonstrated lower SFI and weakness in sexual information, experience, drive, attitude, psychological symptoms, affect and satisfaction, compared with unmarried able-bodied men (p < 0.05). In contrast to unmarried men, unmarried women did not reveal any significant differences in all but body image domain score (p < 0.05) between the groups. Married adults with cerebral palsy showed higher levels of psychological distress in both men and women and lower sexual satisfaction in women (p < 0.05). Nonambulatory people with cerebral palsy had significantly a lower sexual information, experience and satisfaction, and a lower SFI than ambulatory (p < 0.05). Barthel Index was significantly related to body image (p < 0.05). Psychosexual functioning was not significantly different according to cerebral palsy type.


CONCLUSIONS
This study revealed the characteristics on psychosexual functioning in adults with cerebral palsy, depending on gender and marital status. The results suggested that nonambulatory unmarried men with cerebral palsy were at high risk in terms of psychosexual dysfunction.
Cho
Sung-Rae
SR
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Research Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Park
Eun Sook
ES
Park
Chang Il
CI
Na
Sang-il
SI
D000328:Adult; D001828:Body Image; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000523:psychology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000523:psychology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric