The Impact of Hidradenitis Suppurativa on Sexual Health: A Systematic Review

IF 3.4 4区医学 Q1 DERMATOLOGY

Dermatologic Therapy Pub Date : 2025-09-11 DOI:10.1155/dth/2247169

Alexandra R. Nigro, Alim Osman, Elissa Cleland, Michael Povelaitis, Marc Z. Handler

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Abstract

Introduction: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that significantly impacts patients’ quality of life, particularly in relation to sexual health. Sexual dysfunction and erectile dysfunction are frequently reported among individuals with HS. However, the relationship between disease severity and sexual health outcomes remains unclear. This systematic review aims to explore the impact of HS on sexual dysfunction in both males and females, examining the physical and psychological factors involved.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Medline (OVID), and Web of Science using keywords related to HS and sexual health, including “sexual dysfunction,” “sexual desire,” “erectile dysfunction,” “impotence,” and “infertility.” Studies were screened for relevance, and those that examined sexual health outcomes in HS patients were included. Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed qualitatively due to the heterogeneity of the outcome measures. Nonrandomized studies were evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale to assess methodological quality.

Results: The review found that sexual dysfunction was prevalent in HS patients, with rates ranging from 42% to 71.8%. Female patients consistently reported higher levels of sexual distress, while male patients experienced erectile dysfunction at significant rates, as measured by the FSFI and IIEF. Importantly, worsening disease severity did not consistently correlate with increased sexual dysfunction, suggesting that factors such as pain, odor, and psychological distress may have a greater influence.

Conclusion: This review demonstrates that HS significantly impacts sexual health, though the severity of HS does not always correlate with worsening sexual dysfunction. Psychological factors, pain, and genital involvement appear to play a more prominent role. Future research should focus on addressing both the psychological and physical aspects of sexual dysfunction in HS patients and explore the underlying mechanisms linking HS to infertility.

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化脓性汗腺炎对性健康的影响：系统综述

化脓性汗腺炎（HS）是一种慢性炎症性皮肤病，严重影响患者的生活质量，特别是与性健康有关。在HS患者中，性功能障碍和勃起功能障碍经常被报道。然而，疾病严重程度与性健康结果之间的关系尚不清楚。本综述旨在探讨HS对男性和女性性功能障碍的影响，并分析其生理和心理因素。方法：系统检索PubMed、Medline （OVID）和Web of Science中与HS和性健康相关的关键词，包括“性功能障碍”、“性欲”、“勃起功能障碍”、“阳痿”和“不育”。筛选了相关研究，并纳入了那些检查HS患者性健康结果的研究。13项研究符合纳入标准，由于结果测量的异质性，对其进行定性分析。非随机研究采用纽卡斯尔-渥太华量表评估方法学质量。结果：回顾发现HS患者中性功能障碍普遍存在，其发生率为42% ~ 71.8%。根据FSFI和IIEF的测量，女性患者一直报告更高水平的性困扰，而男性患者则经历了显著的勃起功能障碍。重要的是，疾病严重程度的恶化并不总是与性功能障碍的增加相关，这表明诸如疼痛、气味和心理困扰等因素可能有更大的影响。结论：这篇综述表明HS显著影响性健康，尽管HS的严重程度并不总是与性功能障碍的恶化相关。心理因素、疼痛和生殖器受累似乎起着更突出的作用。今后的研究应着重从心理和生理两方面解决HS患者的性功能障碍问题，并探讨HS与不孕症之间的潜在机制。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Dermatologic Therapy 医学-皮肤病学

CiteScore

7.00

自引率

8.30%

发文量

711

审稿时长

3 months

期刊介绍： Dermatologic Therapy has been created to fill an important void in the dermatologic literature: the lack of a readily available source of up-to-date information on the treatment of specific cutaneous diseases and the practical application of specific treatment modalities. Each issue of the journal consists of a series of scholarly review articles written by leaders in dermatology in which they describe, in very specific terms, how they treat particular cutaneous diseases and how they use specific therapeutic agents. The information contained in each issue is so practical and detailed that the reader should be able to directly apply various treatment approaches to daily clinical situations. Because of the specific and practical nature of this publication, Dermatologic Therapy not only serves as a readily available resource for the day-to-day treatment of patients, but also as an evolving therapeutic textbook for the treatment of dermatologic diseases.