Atopic Dermatitis Severity tied to Sexual Health disorders, suggests study
A survey incorporating three validated sexual health scales and questions on the impact of atopic dermatitis (AD) on sexual activity found that approximately 85% of adults with AD reported experiencing sexual health disorders. Importantly, the study demonstrated a clear association between disease severity and sexual health outcomes, with the frequency of these disorders decreasing as AD severity improved with treatment. These findings highlight the significant burden of AD on sexual well-being and underscore the potential for symptom control to enhance overall quality of life. The study was published in the Clinical and Translational Allergy journal by Jorge S. and colleagues.
This association was studied through a thorough prospective observational study carried out on 221 adults above 18 years of age. In the course of their study, patients were thoroughly evaluated twice, once at baseline, and once after five to seven months when they had started following a treatment regimen recommended by specialists. The severity of AD was determined using two well-known instruments namely SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) and Patient Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM). On the other hand, the sexual health status of the subjects was determined using clinically validated instruments such as SyDSF-AP, Index of Female Sexual Function (IFSF), and MGH-SFQ.
Key findings:
- In terms of the baseline results, the association of SHD with skin inflammation proved to be overwhelming.
- In patients with severe AD, the frequency of SHD was calculated to be 100%, and among patients with moderate AD, it was 96%. Moreover, in those cases diagnosed with mild disease, still over 56% suffered from SHD, suggesting that the problem exists even in patients with seemingly controllable disease state.
- It should be noted that several risk factors were identified during statistical analysis as increasing the probability of SHD.
- Thus, SCORAD (OR 3.88) and POEM (OR 4.67) were defined as the first major risk factors associated with SHD, along with the percentage of skin surface involvement (OR 3.15) and the disease duration (OR 3.75).
- After the improvement of disease status, there was a significant relative reduction (RR) in the incidence of SHD in all three groups.
- Thus, RR was -60% for patients with mild AD, -41% for those with moderate disease, and -28% for patients with severe AD.
in conclusion, atopic dermatitis is a highly systematic disease which usually affects the sexual well-being of many individuals, even those who have relatively mild symptoms of the disease. The study was successful in proving that the disease’s severity, the body surface area involved in the disease, and the duration of the disease were all critical factors associated with sexual health disorders. More important than this, the study has proven beyond doubt that effective management of the skin condition using medication decreases the frequency of sexual health disorders considerably.
Reference:
Sánchez J, Montoya G, Caraballo A, et al. Sexual Health in Atopic Dermatitis: Impact of Skin Clinical Control. Clin Transl Allergy. 2025;e70115. https://doi.org/10.1002/clt2.70115
