title: Sexuality in patients with asthma and COPD.
abstract: Sexual quality of life was examined in 55 outpatients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, using disease-specific questionnaires. Compared to an age- and sex-matched norm group, male patients with COPD reported a significantly lower sexual quality of life on all dimensions of the questionnaire. Female patients with COPD reported a lower frequency of sexual intimacy and lower sexual quality of life overall. Patients with asthma reported sexual quality-of-life scores that were somewhat better than COPD patients but worse than the healthy control group. Patients reported that they did not discuss sexual quality-of-life issues with their physician. Sexuality needs to be discussed by the health care provider in the consultation in order to improve quality of life of patients with chronic respiratory disorders.
authors.affiliation: Psychology Unit, Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC), P.O. Box 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands. a.a.kaptein@lumc.nl
authors.forename: Ad A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kaptein
authors.forename: Rik C J
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: van Klink
authors.forename: Frédérique
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de Kok
authors.forename: Margreet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scharloo
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Snoei
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Broadbent
authors.forename: Elisabeth H D
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Bel
authors.forename: Klaus F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Rabe
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000523:psychology*; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires