Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.,
Volume 164, Number 9, November 2001, 1612-1617
Sexuality in Patients with Noninvasive Mechanical
Ventilation Due to Chronic Respiratory Failure
BERND
SCHÖNHOFER,
KIRSTEN VON
SYDOW,
THOMAS
BUCHER,
MARCO
NIETSCH,
STEFAN
SUCHI,
DIETER
KÖHLER,
and
PAUL W.
JONES
Krankenhaus Kloster Grafschaft, Zentrum für Pneumologie, Beatmungs- und Schlafmedizin, Schmallenberg, Germany; Max Planck Institute for
Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology and Epidemiology, Munich, Germany; Psychologisches Institut, Sozialpsychologie II, Universität Zürich, Zürich,
Switzerland; and Department of Respiratory Medicine, St. George's Hospital, London, UK
In patients with chronic respiratory failure (CRF) noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NMV) improves quality of life. We studied some basic issues concerning sexuality in patients with NMV. In 383 patients with NMV for CRF (age, > 40 yr) physiologic data (lung
function, blood gases, and exercise) were taken from within the
6 mo period before enrollment. The questionnaire was focused on
sexuality after initiation of NMV. Of the patients, 54.3% sent back
the questionnaire. NMV was used for 41.1 ± 27.0 mo. A total of
34.1% of patients were sexually active. Compared with patients receiving NMV, control persons had a higher rate of sexual activity (84%, p < 0.0001) and masturbation rate (13 versus 40%). Sexually active patients had greater VC (2.1 versus 1.8 L), higher FEV1 (1.4 versus 1.1 L), higher PaO2 at rest (64.0 versus 60.4 mm Hg), a higher
maximal work load (72.0 versus 58.8 W), were younger, and most
of them were married or had sexual partners. Changes in sexual activity after NMV initiation were reported to be as follows: "Nothing
changed," 46.3%; "less active," 35.8%; "more active," 12.6%; and
"fantasy increased," 10.5%. Increased sexual fantasy predominated
in men. "Sexually active" patients with NMV had sexual intercourse
5.4 ± 4.8 times per month. Sexuality in patients receiving NMV for
CRF is markedly reduced compared with normal subjects. In half of
the patients, sexual activity is influenced by initiation of NMV.
