No sex please, I have RA
22/10/2007
New research conducted on behalf of the ReAlife Campaign and published to mark World Arthritis Day has shown that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) - a form of severe arthritis which often affects people in their thirties and forties - not only causes pain and joint damage, but contributes to relationship stress too.
The research found that early two thirds (61%) of sufferers say their sex life has been affected by the condition, 15% cite RA as a contributing factor in their divorce/ separation, and 36% feel the disease makes it difficult to embark on new relationships.
And sadly, around one third of people with RA fail to tell their heal
thcare professionals the full extent of their symptoms. Susan Quilliam, leading sex psychologist commented: “Sexuality can help provide intimacy, pleasure and help maintain a sense of normality in relationships affected by chronic illness.
"For people with RA the pain and fatigue caused by unmanaged disease can make intimacy seem impossible - but this shouldn’t be the case. It is vital that patients talk to their healthcare professionals about their concerns and make sure they communicate openly with their partner to keep their relationships strong.”
Dr Andrew Östör, Consultant Rheumatologist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital Cambridge said: “The key to effective management of RA is open and honest communication between patients and their doctor or nurse. We need to make sure that patients have realistic treatment expectations and that they are not suffering from unnecessary discomfort.
"There are a variety of treatments available, including recently launched therapies such as rituximab which targets the B-cells in the inflammatory cascade. Such developments mean that no one should be left in unnecessary pain and unable to cope with physical intimacy.”
The Arthritic Association aims to relieve the suffering and pain of arthritis by natural methods. They have launched a "Home Treatment Programme" developed by Charles de Coti-Marsh, which is a natural, drug free way to treat arthritis, based on a 3-stage recovery process.
Recognised as a complex health intervention, the Programme is essentially a long term, self-care programme: the patient’s motivation, pro-activity and willingness to investigate every aspect of the treatment are crucial.
There are currently over 487,000 people in England and Wales with RA, many of whom will only be in their 30s when the disease begins. The disease can cause relentless pain, extreme fatigue and disability as well as impacting on peoples’ social and working lives.
Between 1999-2000, 9.4 million working days were lost in Great Britain due to this disease, the equivalent of £833 million in lost production. RA is an autoimmune disease characterised by inflammation that leads to painful, stiff and swollen joints.
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