engleski

Sexual Health of Persons with Hemophilia

Introduction and objective The topic of sexuality among persons with hemophilia is still underexplored. Only a smaller number of studies address this topic, with a particularly small number examining the problems of sexual health. This paper aims to contribute to the understanding of this topic, primarily by examining the frequency of erectile dysfunction and its relation to hemophilia-related difficulties, other comorbidities, and age. Materials and methods The empirical study was conducted among adults with hemophilia in Croatia (N=98). The method of postal survey was employed, with voluntary and anonymous participation. Along with the questions on the frequency of sexual potency problems and age, a number of objective, medical indicators of health status were explored, and a few subjective, i. e. psychological features. Results More than a fourth of the respondents (28.7%) reported occasional or frequent potency problems. The problems aggravate with age, however, they are also experienced by 15% of the respondents below 50. The frequency of bleeding is not related to erectile dysfunction, unlike the consequences of untreated bleedings (disablement, pains). Moreover, the potency problems are related to a number of physiological comorbidities (hypertension, cardiological diseases, hemorrhoids, prostate problems), and psychological features (coping with the disease, sleep deprivation, depression). The exclusion (control) of the effect of age on the results revealed that prostate problems, hypertension, pains, disablement and sleep deprivation have relevant consequences for sexual health only when combined with age, while cardiological problems, hemorrhoids, depression and coping with the disease are related to it regardless of patients' age. Conclusions The study suggests the relevant occurrence of potency problems among persons with hemophilia, particularly in relation to age, and the comorbidities occurring due to age and hemophilia. Nevertheless, cardiological diseases, hemorrhoids, depression and coping with the disease are significantly correlated to potency problems, regardless of age. The finding on hemorrhoids as a significant comorbidity is particularly indicative, implying the question on how much this correlation is a consequence of medical, psychological or combined causes. All these findings point to the need of raising awareness on the problem of erectile dysfunction among persons with hemophilia, implying the need for further research on the sexual health of this population.

Sexual Health ; Persons with Hemophilia

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