Sexuality and intimacy are essential aspects of an individual's quality of life. Sexual dysfunction is an underestimated and underevaluated complication of stroke. The issue is often fudged by patients and sparsely discussed by health professionals. The cause of post-stroke sexual dysfunction is multifactorial, including neuro-anatomical, physical, psychological, and cultural factors. The resumption of sexual life is part of the post-stroke recovery goals. The diagnosis and treatment of sexual dysfunction should undeniably be part of the rehabilitation process. In this narrative review, we explored the literature pertaining to sexuality in stroke patients and discussed the health professional’s behavior towards sexual rehabilitation. The articles were selected based on a PubMed research using the keywords “stroke”, “sexuality”, “stroke rehabilitation”, “sexuality after stroke” as well as combinations of these keywords. The results of this review are presented herein.
Key Words
Sexuality, stroke, rehabilitation, sexual dysfunction
What is already known about the topic?
Post-stroke sexual dysfunctions are well-known complications. They have a multifactorial cause and require a multidisciplinary approach. As sexuality is a taboo, sexual rehabilitation faces several obstacles.
What does this article bring up for us?
It provides a synthesis of the challenges encountered in the management of sexuality and intimacy in stroke survivors.