title: Sexual functioning in long-term survivors of Hodgkin's lymphoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Studies of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) survivors have reported long-term adjustment problems including sexual dysfunction, but the prevalence and persistence of sexual problems in HL survivors have not been well characterized. This study aimed to address these questions by comparing sexual health in a large cohort of long-term HL survivors with a noncancer control group.
  
  
  METHODS
  A mailed survey including questions about current sexual problems and sexual satisfaction was completed by 465 HL survivors and 205 sibling controls. Survivors ranged from 20 to 82 years (median=44) and were treated ≥7 years prior (median=18).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sexual problems were commonly reported by HL survivors, with 54.2% reporting decreased sexual activity and 41.4% reporting decreased interest. When survivors' current sexual functioning was compared with the control group, however, no differences were found, and overall sexual satisfaction was positive in both groups. Among survivors, age was not associated with sexual problems but had a small significant negative association with satisfaction (ρ=-0.12; p<0.05). No associations between time since diagnosis, disease stage, and chemotherapy treatment and sexual functioning were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consistent with previous studies, HL survivors reported high rates of current sexual problems. However, no differences in sexual problems or sexual satisfaction were found between survivors and controls. Results indicate that over the long term, survivors' sexual functioning does not differ from noncancer controls. Findings underscore the importance of including healthy control groups to determine whether difficulties reported by cancer survivors can be attributed to cancer treatment.
authors.affiliation: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Perini Family Survivors' Center, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Christopher_Recklitis@dfci.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Recklitis
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sanchez Varela
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mauch
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bober
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001900:Boston / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult