Profound disturbances of sexual health in patients with acne inversa

Abstract

Background: Acne inversa (AI) leads chronically to painful eruptions and extensive scarring in predominantly intimate areas. We hypothesized an impairment of sexual life caused by the disease.

Objectives: By means of validated questionnaires, sexual health and quality of life were assessed in patients with AI and in healthy control subjects.

Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was given to 85 voluntary study participants. In all, 45 women (24 patients vs 21 control subjects) and 40 men (20 patients vs 20 control subjects) were enrolled in the study. The Female Sexual Function Index, the International Index of Erectile Function, and the Frankfurt Self-Concept Scale for Sexuality were used to assess sexual health. Quality of life was measured with the Dermatology Life Quality Index.

Results: This study demonstrated, for the first time to our knowledge, that patients with AI have sexual dysfunctions and sexual distress in comparison with matched control subjects. Sexual distress was particularly higher in female than in male patients with AI. Surprisingly, severity of cutaneous alterations correlated neither with sexual dysfunctions nor with sexual distress. However, the sexual dysfunction and sexual distress negatively correlated with the quality of life in female patients with AI who had a lower quality of life compared with gender-matched control subjects and male patients.

Limitations: Small sample size is the main limitation of this study.

Conclusions: Sexual health is diminished in patients with AI. We underscore the need for physicians to implement attention on the impact of AI on sexual health and quality of life when treating patients for this disease.