Background: Sexual health of RA patients is an aspect of the care often neglected and about which little is known. Qualisex is a simple (10 questions) and valid tool investigating impact of RA on sexuality. This tool can be useful to assess this important aspect of quality of life. (Gossec and al, Clin Exp Rheum,2012).

Objectives: Qualisex questionnaire was used in active RA patients of the ROC (Rotation or change) study (Gottenberg et al, JAMA 2016) in order to investigate the association between disease activity and response to a biologic treatment and sexual health.

Methods: Among 153 patients of the randomized controlled trial “ROC”, which compared a second anti-TNF to a non-TNF biologic in RA patients with inadequate response to a first anti-TNF. Qualisex questionnaire was proposed to 83 RA patients, and 57 of them filled the questionnaire before and after 6 months of their allocated biologic. Changes in the qualisex score was analyzed according to the variation of the clinical and biological parameters.

Results: The mean age of the 57 RA patients studied was 50.2 (9.6) years. The mean duration of disease was 11.2 (9.5) years, and 43 (75.4%) were female. After 6 months of treatments, 19 were considered with a good response to the treatment according to EULAR response (DAS 28 VS <3.2 and a variation of 0.6 of the DAS from the base line).

The mean value of qualisex score was 4.05 (+/_ 2.53) at V0 and 3.91 (+/_ 2.45) after 6 months of treatment. The variation of the qualisex score was more important among the 19 responder patients than among the 43 patients with a persistently active disease. Changes in the qualisex score was significantly correlated to the changes in DAS28, in asthenia, and in SF36mental score, but not with changes in pain, or in SF36 physical score.

Variables correlation with qualisex score P value

Variation of DAS 28 CRP 0.33 0.01

Variation of DAS 28 VS 0.27 0.04

Variations of asthenia 0.31 0.03

Variation of pain 0.13 NS

Variations of SF 36 physical score -0.21 NS

Variation of SF36 mental score -0.3 0.03

Conclusions: This first study of sexual health of RA patients in a randomized trial demonstrates an improvement in sexual health in patients responders to a biologic treatment. Improvement of sexual health was associated with a decrease in disease activity and asthenia.

References 1Gossec L, et al. Elaboration and validation of a questionnaire (Qualisex) to assess the impact of rheumatoid arthritis on sexuality with patient involvement. Clin Exp Rheum2012; 30:0505–13.

2Gottenberg, et al. Non TNF targeted biologic vs a second anti-TNF drug to treat rheumatoid arthritis in patients with insufficient responset o a first anti-TNF. Jama2016;11:1172–1180.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared