title: Lived Experiences of Sex Life Difficulties in Men and Women with Early RA - The Swedish TIRA Project.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Men and women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) experience restrictions in everyday life, in spite of the development of new medications. Recent research has described in detail how participation limitations are experienced in everyday life from a patient perspective. However, knowledge of how sex and intimate relationships are affected is still scarce.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to explore sex life experiences in relation to sexual function and sexual relationships in men and women with early RA.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study formed part of TIRA-2 (the Swedish acronym for the prospective multicentre early arthritis project). The data collection included 45 interviews with 21 men and 24 women, aged 20-63, which were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The critical incident technique was used to collect data, and content analysis to categorize the results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Half the participants stated that RA affected their sex life. The general descriptions formed five categories: sex life and tiredness; sex life and ageing; emotional consequences of impaired sexual function; facilitators of sexual function and sexual relationships; and strain on the sexual relationship.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sex life is affected in early RA, in spite of new effective treatment strategies. New strategies of communication, assessment and self-managing interventions concerning the sex lives of patients with RA need to be implemented by a multidisciplinary healthcare team. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Work, School of Health Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Eskilstuna, Sweden.
authors.forename: Gunnel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Östlund
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Center, Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.|Department of Rehabilitation, School of Health Sciences, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mathilda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Björk
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation and Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Valtersson
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation and Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.|Social Work, Department of Social and Welfare Studies, Linköping University, Norrköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sverker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D013548:Sweden; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Sex life; patient perspective; quality of life; rehabilitation