Addressing Sexual Health in Congenital Heart Disease: When Being the Same Isn't the Same

Abstract

A larger number of individuals born with congenital heart disease is living into adolescence and young adulthood. With this comes the responsibility to counsel these patients regarding their sexual and reproductive health. This study utilizes representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to compare sexual measures including percentage of that sexually active, age of first sexual activity, number of sexual partners, condom use, and history of sexually transmitted diseases in those with and without congenital heart disease. A total of 1086 patients (1057 without congenital heart disease and 29 with congenital heart disease) were included in this study. Likelihood of being sexually active, age of first sexual intercourse, and condom use did not differ significantly between the two groups after multivariate analysis. Incidence of sexually transmitted disease did not differ between the two groups after multivariate analysis except for genital warts. There are no major differences in sexual measures between those with and without congenital heart disease. The absence of significant differences in sexual measures in those with congenital heart disease compared with the general population places this group of individuals at increased health risk known to occur with pregnancy.

Menstrual disturbances in women with congenital heart diseases

“…Recent advances in early diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart diseases (CHDs) have made it possible for women with CHD to survive into their childbearing age ( 2 - 6 ). Menstrual disturbances can be chronic in patients with CHD ( 3 ).…”

Approaching the 50 th anniversary of the first Fontan procedure. What is the current state of treatment provided to patients with functional single ventricles?

“…Notwithstanding, most patients remain in low NYHA functional classes for years: they attend schools, achieving results similar to their peers, their lifestyle is almost normal, and the quality of life is acceptable [ 6 ].…”

“…One third of patients experience cardiac dysrhythmias requiring treatment within 15 years after the Fontan procedure. This condition is associated with poor prognosis [ 6 , 23 ]. The prevalence of dysrhythmias is significantly influenced by the employed procedural technique.…”

Sexual health knowledge and needs among young adults with congenital heart disease

“…However, with the rapid development of mass communication, Korean youth have gained easy access to cultures that are more liberal regarding sex, and, consequently, their attitudes towards sex are changing [ 6 ]. Nevertheless, there are limited data regarding the extent to which sexual and reproductive counseling is being provided to patients with CHD and the extent of their knowledge regarding the inherent risks of their specific cardiac conditions in relation to sexual and reproductive practices [ 7 ]. One study showed that only 54% of patients on an adult congenital cardiac clinic could identify their heart conditions correctly [ 8 ].…”