The impact of inflammatory bowel disease on sexual health in men: A scoping review

Abstract

Aims and objectives To review the literature on the impact of inflammatory bowel disease on the sexual health of men and make recommendations for nursing practice and research. Background Inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic condition of the gastrointestinal tract, causing symptoms that may impact upon sexual health. Specialist nurses are well positioned to assess and manage sexual health, but there is a lack of clinical guidance, especially in relation to men. Design A systematic scoping review following the Arksey and O’Malley (International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8, 2005, 19) framework reported in line with the PRISMA‐ScR checklist (Tricco et al., Annals of Internal Medicine, 169, 2018, 467). Methods OVID MEDLINE ALL [R], OVID EMBASE [R], OVID PsychINFO, EBSCO CINAHL Complete, The Cochrane Library and ProQuest were searched. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied independently by two reviewers. Data were extracted, charted and summarised from eligible studies. Results Thirty‐one studies met the inclusion criteria. These were synthesised under three categories: mediators, moderators and descriptors of sexual health. Depression, disease activity and surgery were the most commonly cited disease‐related factors to affect sexual health in men. The most commonly used assessment tool was The International Index of Erectile Function. Descriptors of function included frequency of intercourse, libido and the ability to maintain a desired sexual role. Conclusions The effect of inflammatory bowel disease on sexual health in men involves a complex interaction of physical and psychosocial factors. Researchers must explore areas outside of erectile function to understand how the disease impacts sexuality, sexual well‐being and masculinity. This can be achieved through qualitative exploration of patient, partner and health professional experiences. Relevance to clinical practice A holistic nursing assessment of men with inflammatory bowel disease should include sexual health. Developing understanding of how the disease influences sexual interaction and expression will facilitate support that is relevant, accessible and of value to men living with the disease.

Sexual well‐being needs of patients with chronic illness expressed in health care: A scoping review

“…Of the 50 studies that fulfilled the inclusion criteria, only two studies give explicit attention to the nursing profession (Cockle‐Hearne et al, 2013; Ma et al, 2020). In total, 19 studies emphasize the profession of nursing in their results.…”

“…F I G U R E 1 PRISMA flowchart for study selection. Adopted from PRISMA statement (Page et al, 2021) To explore the patient's perception of the impact of severe asthma on intimacy, establish their information needs and their perceived role of the HCP Albers et al, 2020;Cooper et al, 2018;Dellenborg et al, 2020;Egerod et al, 2018;Fourie et al, 2021;Holmes et al, 2019;Hyde et al, 2020;Josefsson & Gard, 2012;Kazmerski et al, 2016;Leonardi-Warren et al, 2016;Lindau et al, 2011;Ma et al, 2020;den Ouden et al, 2019;Petit-Steeghs et al, 2020;Savel et al, 2020;Traa et al, 2014;Traumer et al, 2019;Zhang et al, 2020 Being asked questions Hoorsan et al, 2021;Sandfort et al, 2013;Traumer et al, 2019 Bringing up the issue themselves Grondhuis Palacios et al, 2018;Hoorsan et al, 2021;Josefsson & Gard, 2012;Sandfort et al, 2013;Zhang et al, 2020 Good/comfortable relationship between HCPs and patients Abramsohn et al, 2013;Carlsson-Lalloo et al, 2016;Lindau et al, 2011;Traumer et al, 2019 Private conversation/private or safe space Abramsohn et al, 2013;Gong et al, 2021;Holmes et al, 2019;Ma et al, 2020 Direct/plain/open discussions Leonardi-Warren et al, 2016;McCallum et al, 2012;Traa et al, 2014 Discussion...…”

Inflammatory bowel disease is an independent risk factor for male erectile dysfunction

“…In a cohort study conducted by Wilton et al [18], it was shown that ED was detected 1.45 times more in patients with psoriatic arthritis compared to the normal group. In a similar recent article, it has been shown that psoriasis negatively affects male sexual functions [19]. In their animal experiment, Carneiro et al [20] showed that rats developed endothelial dysfunction and cavernosal smooth muscle hypercontractility after infusion of TNF-α.…”

“…In a review, it was emphasized that patients with IBD have more sexual dysfunction and infertility than the normal population, and this was associated with depression and IBD activity [18]. In another review, it was stated that the IIEF score was mostly used in the evaluation of sexual functions in patients with IBD, and the most important risk factors for ED in these patients were depression, disease activity, and history of surgery [19]. In our study, it has been shown that IBD was a risk factor for ED, regardless of the history of surgery and depression.…”

Cyanidin-3-O-Glucoside Supplement Improves Sperm Quality and Spermatogenesis in a Mice Model of Ulcerative Colitis

“…Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory condition that mainly causes symptoms in gastrointestinal tract such as bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, fecal urgency, incontinence and weight loss [ 1 ]. Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD) are representative diseases.…”