title: Prevalence of sexual dysfunction among female patients followed in a Brasília Cohort of early rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in women diagnosed with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (less than one year of symptoms at the time of diagnosis), as well as to evaluate the possible association between sexual dysfunction with AR activity and functional disability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study assessing women diagnosed with early RA, accompanied per protocol in the Brasilia Cohort, Hospital Universitário de Brasília. Demographics, disease activity index (Disease Activity Score 28 - DAS 28) and functional disability questionnaire (Health Assessment Questionnaire - HAQ), were obtained by direct interviews. The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) was used, questionnaire which contains 19 items that assess six domains: sexual desire, sexual arousal, vaginal lubrication, orgasm, sexual satisfaction and pain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  68 patients studied, of whom 54 (79.4%) reported sexual activity in the last four weeks. The participants were 49.7±13.7 (mean±SD) years old and the majority were married (61.4%). The mean DAS 28 was 3.6±1.5 and the mean HAQ was 0.7. The prevalence of sexual dysfunction (FSFI ≤26) was 79.6%. There was no association of disease activity or of functional disability with the occurrence of sexual dysfunction in the female patients evaluated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of sexual dysfunction found in this study was higher than that reported in the literature in healthy women. A knowledge of the extent of the problem is needed to provide adequate therapeutic options for these patients.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Reumatologia, Hospital Universitário de Brasília, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brasil. Electronic address: thaisferreiracosta@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Thaís Ferreira
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Reumatologia, Hospital Universitário de Brasília, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Carolina Rocha
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Reumatologia, Hospital Universitário de Brasília, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Luciana Feitosa
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Muniz
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Licia Maria Henrique da
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Mota
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications*; D001938:Brazil; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D057566:Self Report; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*
keywords: Artrite reumatoide; Disfunção sexual; Qualidade de vida; Quality of Life; Rheumatoid arthritis; Sexual dysfunction; Sexualidade; Sexuality