# Sexual quality of life among patients with lung cancer and people living with HIV: a cross-sectional study

## TL;DR

This study compares sexual quality of life in lung cancer patients and people with HIV, finding that sociodemographic factors like age and financial status significantly impact sexual functioning.

## Contribution

The study is novel in comparing sexual quality of life between lung cancer patients and people living with HIV using specific validated questionnaires.

## Key findings

- Men's erectile and orgasmic functions were negatively correlated with age.
- Higher formal education was linked to better sexual quality of life in both men and women.
- Women with poor financial status scored lower on sexual quality of life measures.

## Abstract

Sexual quality of life is an important component of health and wellbeing for people with chronic diseases.

The aim of the study was to assess sexual quality of life among patients with lung cancer and people living with HIV.

The study included 191 participants (98 men and 93 women) diagnosed with lung cancer or HIV infection. The study used a proprietary questionnaire, the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-15), and the Sexual Quality of Life—Female (SQoL-F) and Male (SQoL-M).

Among men, statistically significant negative relationships were observed between age and erectile function (p = 0.04), orgasmic function (p = 0.018), and sexual desire (p = 0.032) on the IIEF-15. Sexual desire among women was significantly negatively correlated with age in the lung cancer group (p = 0.007). The level of formal education had a significant influence on the scores in individual domains on the IIEF-15. The analysis indicated a significant relationship of formal education level on sexual quality of life in both men and women. The analysis performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test revealed significant differences in erectile function (p = 0.044) and orgasmic function (p = 0.012) in men depending on financial status. In terms of SQoL-F, women who rated their financial situation as “neither good nor bad” scored significantly lower than women with a good financial situation (p = 0.007).

In conclusion, sociodemographic factors such as age, formal education, and financial status, significantly influenced the functioning of patients living with HIV and those diagnosed with lung cancer. Individuals living with HIV demonstrated higher levels of sexual functioning and sexual quality of life compared with patients with lung cancer. A better financial situation, and higher formal educational attainment were associated with higher scores on scales used in the study.