New podcast series: sexuality and IBD
People with IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) experience the impact of their disease in many aspects of their daily lives. For example, many patients experience changes in their sexuality due to both physical and mental causes. To bring this topic out in the open, we are launching the second season in our podcast series “The Gut Feeling” on IBD and sexuality.
Reduced sex drive in IBD
IBD is a collective term for chronic inflammatory diseases of the gut. The two most common forms of IBD are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. People with IBD often experience symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, fever, and extreme fatigue. As a result, the disease impacts all kinds of moments in their lives, including the most intimate moments. One of the biggest challenges for people living with IBD is the loss of lust: a majority of men and women with IBD report a decreased desire for sex1,2. This can have both physical and mental causes, and often several causes play a role simultaneously. For example, many patients experience pain during intercourse and have difficulty reaching an orgasm. Also, people with IBD often feel insecure about their bodies, and therefore experience a barrier to becoming sexually active.
"The Gut Feeling": IBD and Sexuality
In a four-part podcast series, sexologist and relationship therapist Chloé de Bie and Sophie Vieujean therefore talk to people living with IBD and health experts about sexuality and IBD. The IBD-experts themselves experience all kinds of problems related to their disease. For example, how do you prevent your desire for sex from diminishing if you are often in pain? And how do you get yourself to talk about it with a healthcare provider? What are the causes of a decreased libido? Together with health experts they discuss challenges, causes and ways to deal with sexuality and IBD. An important conclusion: the topic of sexuality with IBD is still far too much of a taboo. Time to break that taboo.
Listen to “The Gut Feeling” via Spotify (NL) or watch the videos on MICItv (FR).
Want to learn more about IBD and wellbeing? Listen to the podcast “Buikspraak” on the topic of IBD and nutrition via Spotify (NL).
#IBDOpgekrast
At Janssen, we will continue to work towards this goal. Until our ultimate goal is reached and IBD had disappeared! Would you like to help us raise awareness of IBD and everything it entails? Join in the discussion on our social media channels and use #IBDisappear!
EM-58495 - 6-april-2021