ArticleAdvances in rheumatology (London, England)2026
Self-esteem as a determinant of sexual function in systemic lupus erythematosus patients: a cross-sectional study.
Article in Advances in rheumatology (London, England), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundThe correlation between self-esteem and sexual function in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients remains unexplored. The objective was to assess the association between body self-esteem, global self-esteem, and sexual function in patients with SLE.
methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care center. We included patients aged 18 and older who met the EULAR/ACR criteria for SLE. Body self-esteem was measured using the Body Self-Esteem Scale (BSES), while global self-esteem was assessed with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE). Sexual function was evaluated using the Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire Short-Form questionnaire (CSFQ-14). Sexual dysfunction (SD) was defined as a total CSFQ-14 score of less than 41 points for women and less than 47 points for men. We assessed disease activity using the SLEDAI-2 K, and damage accrual with the SLICC damage index.
resultsA total of 280 patients were included, the majority of whom were female (88.6%). The median age was 39 years (IQR 31 to 49). The median SLEDAI-2 K score was 2 (IQR 0 to 4), and the SLICC damage index was 0 (IQR 0 to 1). A total of 147 patients (52.5%) were classified as having SD. The BSES score showed a significant correlation with the total CSFQ-14 score (rho = 0.364, p < 0.001). Similarly, the RSE subcomponents, self-competence (rho = 0.262, p < 0.001) and self-liking (rho = 0.274, p < 0.001) showed both a significant positive correlation with the total CSFQ-14 score. Patients with SD compared to those without SD had significantly lower BSES scores, lower self-competence scores and lower self-liking scores. Female sex (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.2 to 6.0, p = 0.026), lower leukocyte count (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.0 to 1.3, p = 0.046), and lower BSES score (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.8 to 2.1, p < 0.001) were independent risk factors for sexual dysfunction.
conclusionsThis is the first study to evaluate self-esteem as a determinant of sexual function in SLE patients. Given the significant impact of self-esteem on sexual dysfunction, its relationship should be assessed during rheumatology evaluations. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.
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