Background: The alterations of sexual desire in allergy respiratory diseases have seldom been analyzed. This paper aims to evaluate the association of allergic rhinitis and asthma among adults with the loss of interest in sex.
Methods: Through a cross-sectional study, we compared three groups of subjects: one with patients with allergic rhinitis, another with allergic asthma, and a control group. The loss of interest in sex was assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory-II, which includes a scale that evaluates this characteristic.
Results: The prevalence of loss of interest in sex in patients with allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis, and controls was 48.8%, 39.5%, and 20.2%, respectively. In multivariate models, a positive association between a loss of interest in sex and allergic asthma (OR =2.4, p =0.005) and allergic rhinitis (OR =2.1, p =0.03) was found independently. In both models, other associated factors included being female (p <0.001) and living as a couple (p <0.001). In contrast, no significant association was found with age (≥40 years), smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, or excess weight.
Conclusion: Loss of interest in sex is highly prevalent and is notoriously associated with allergic respiratory diseases; similarly, it is associated with living as a couple and being female.
Keywords: allergic rhinitis; asthma; prevalence; sex; sexual dysfunction.
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