Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34280592›Full record

ReviewSexual medicine2021

Prevalence of Sexual Dysfunction in People With Systemic Sclerosis and the Associated Risk Factors: A Systematic Review.

Rui Gao, Pingying Qing, Xiaochi Sun, Xun Zeng, Xiao Hu, Sirui Zhang, Yihong Yang, Lang Qin

Open access · goldAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Sexual medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 22% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Sexual Dysfunction in Patients with Chronic Non-Genital Physical Disease: An Umbrella Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Sexual function is impaired in women and men with pulmonary hypertension.Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society · 2023
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.

Rui GaoThe Reproductive Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Pingying QingDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Xiaochi SunWest China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Xun ZengThe Reproductive Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Xiao HuWest China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Sirui ZhangWest China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Yihong YangThe Reproductive Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. Electronic address: yyhpumc@foxmail.com.
Lang QinThe Reproductive Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. Electronic address: cacier@163.com.
Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital · CNWest China Medical Center of Sichuan University · CNChengdu Medical College · CNSecond Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese · CNSichuan University · CNWest China Hospital of Sichuan University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe association between systemic sclerosis (SSc) and sexual dysfunction was controversial.

aimTo explore the impacts of SSc on sexual function, the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in patients with SSc and associated risk factors.

methodsA systematic review of all published studies was performed. Studies exploring the association between SSc and sexual function were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, and EBSCO. All retrieved papers were selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria.

main outcome measureThe impacts of SSc on sexual function, the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in males and females with SSc and associated risk factors.

resultsA total 12 studies were included in this study. The prevalence of sexual dysfunction in SSc males and SSc females were 76.9-81.4% and 46.7-86.6%, respectively. But the direct impacts of SSc on sexual function were controversial. EULAR SSc activity score ≥3, the number of complications ≥2, and the presence of anticardiolipin antibody and anti U1 ribonucleoprotein antibody in males and resistive index (RI) and the systolic/diastolic (S/D) ratio of clitoral blood in females have potential to be SSc-specific risk factors for sexual dysfunction. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Clinicians need to pay more attention to the impacts of SSc on sexual function of patients especially in those with risk factors. STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: Systematically explored the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in SSc males and females, and the risk factors of sexual dysfunction for SSc were explored innovatively. However, there were some limitations in included studies prevented exploring the impacts of SSc on sexual function deeply.

conclusionSexual dysfunction may be an important symptom of SSc, many risk factors may be associated with sexual dysfunction in males and females with SSc. Gao R, Qing P, Sun X, et al. Prevalence of Sexual Dysfunction in People With Systemic Sclerosis and the Associated Risk Factors: A Systematic Review. Sex Med 2021;9:100392.

Indexed as

Sexual DysfunctionSScSystematic ReviewSystemic Sclerosis

Identifiers

PMID34280592
PMCPMC8360910
OpenAlexW3184109947

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.