IBD impacts patients’ sexual lives in a myriad of ways, but support related to this aspect of IBD care is inadequate, according to findings from a patient survey published in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Dean Tripp, PhD, and colleagues examined the impact of IBD on sexual well-being and patients’ experiences in accessing support for these concerns in the healthcare system. In total, 480 adults responded to survey questions, which generated eight themes about the negative influence of IBD on patients’ sexual/intimate lives and the impact of larger psychosocial experiences, such as self-perception and mental health, on patients’ sexual well-being. Quantitative analyses showed that 39.2% of participants wanted information about sexual health from a clinician, but only 5.7% of the sample stated that they both wanted and received such information. “Patients who want healthcare in this area rarely receive satisfactory support,” Dr. Tripp and colleagues wrote.
