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Quality of life and sexuality in chronic dialysis female patients

International Journal of Impotence Research volume 18, pages 539–543 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Patients in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) present reduced quality of life (QOL) and impaired sexual function. Previous studies have mostly addressed male sexual dysfunction. This was a cross-sectional controlled study that applied a general and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-bref© questionnaires to assess demographic, marital, and sexual conditions, and QOL in 86 healthy women aged 18 or more years (Group 1), and 38 female ESRD patients on dialysis for at least 2 months (Group 2). The effect of several explanatory variables upon QOL components was estimated. Quality of life was lower in Group 2 – overall, and on physical and environment domains. To undergo dialysis and to be poorly educated negatively affected the QOL. Yet age, a stable marital relationship or being sexually active had no effect. Female patients undergoing chronic dialysis had lower QOL and were significantly more sexually dysfunctional than comparable healthy women. Decline in sexual function had no effect on the QOL.

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Acknowledgements

We are deeply indebted to Adriana Conti, RN, Patricia Motta and Angela Parizotto for their effort and dedication in data collection. Florence Z Coelho-Marques was supported by a research grant from Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES).

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  1. Programa de Pós-Graduaçã o em Medicina e Ciências da Saúde (Nefrologia), Faculdade de Medicina/Hospital São Lucas/Instituto de Pesquisas Biomédicas, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil

    F Z Coelho-Marques, M B Wagner, C E Poli de Figueiredo & D O d'Avila

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  1. F Z Coelho-Marques
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  2. M B Wagner
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  3. C E Poli de Figueiredo
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  4. D O d'Avila
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Correspondence to D O d'Avila.

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Coelho-Marques, F., Wagner, M., Poli de Figueiredo, C. et al. Quality of life and sexuality in chronic dialysis female patients. Int J Impot Res 18, 539–543 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3901470

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