ORIGINAL ARTICLE Sexual dysfunction and its determinants in Malaysian women with rheumatoid arthritis Mohammad A. SHAHAR, 1 Heselynn HUSSEIN, 2 Hatta SIDI, 3 Shamsul A. SHAH 4 and Mohd S. MOHAMED SAID 5 1 Department of Internal Medicine, Kulliyyah of Medicine, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan, 2 Rheumatology Unit, Hospital Putrajaya, Putrajaya, 3 Department of Psychiatry, 4 Department of Public Health, and 5 Rheumatology Unit, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Abstract Aim: To determine the prevalence of sexual dysfunction (FSD) among women with rheumatoid arthritis attend- ing the Rheumatology Clinic in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC) and Hospital Putra- jaya, Malaysia, and to determine its associations with potential clinical and disease activity factors. Method: This was a cross-sectional study involving women with rheumatoid arthritis between the ages of 20 and 60 years. A validated Malay Version Female Sexual Function Index (MVFSFI) was administered to diagnose FSD. Soci- odemographic and disease activity profiles were obtained and those who had and did not have FSD were compared. Results: Among 63 respondents, 51 patients were included in the analysis for FSD. The prevalence of FSD in women with rheumatoid arthritis attending UKMMC and Hospital Putrajaya Rheumatology Clinic was 29.4%. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28-ESR) correlates with MVFSFI score with r = 0.364 (P = 0.009) and r = 0.268 (P = 0.057), respectively. Sociodemographic factors that correlate with MVFSFI score were: patient’s age (r = 0.520, P < 0.001); duration of marriage (r = 0.355, P = 0.001); husband’s age (r = 0.460, P = 0.001); age of oldest child (r = 0.449, P = 0.001); and age of youngest child (r = 0.627, P < 0.001). Conclusion: We found in this study that the prevalence of FSD in rheumatoid arthritis in our centers was 29.4%. Age and family dynamics appear to be more important predictors compared to disease activity. Key words: rheumatoid arthritis, sexual dysfunction. INTRODUCTION Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease causing significant morbidity and disability. 1,2 Although central to the management of RA patients is their quality of life, sexual dysfunction among patients with RA is often neglected. Several studies have looked into the issue; however, findings were conflicting. In Malaysia, there has not been a study looking at sexual dysfunction among RA women. Sexual dysfunction impacts significantly on quality of life and women’s self-esteem and causes emotional dis- tress leading to relationship problems in marriage. 3 Hill et al. 4 reported that 56% of RA patients found that their arthritis placed limitations on sexual intercourse and the principal reasons cited were fatigue and pain. How- ever, tools used in the assessment of RA patient in daily Correspondence: Assistant Professor Dr Mohammad Arif Shahar, Internal Medicine Specialist, Department of Internal Medicine, Kulliyyah of Medicine, International Islamic Univer- sity Malaysia (IIUM), Jalan Istana, Bandar Indera Mahkota, 25200, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia. Email: arif124@yahoo.com This study was approved by the Medical Research and Ethics Commit- tee (MREC) of the university (Research Code: FF-089–2010) and National Medical Research Registry and Medical Research Ethics Com- mittee Malaysia (Research Code: NMRR-10–292–5536). The content has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. © 2012 The Authors International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases © 2012 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases 2012