Biomedical Research

Objectives: Effects of sociodemographic, sexual and clinical factors, and disease awareness on psychosexual impacts of anogenital warts (AGWs), in certain societies are less known. The study aimed to determine psychosexual effects of such factors in refugees with AGW.

Methods: A pilot, cross-sectional study on 100 refugees with AGWs was conducted based on determining depression (DEP) and sexual experiences (S-Exp) of the subjects. Effects of sociodemographics, sexual life properties, clinical and laboratory examination findings, disease duration, relapse, and disease awareness on psychological status of the subjects were determined. They were examined by a dermatologist, a family physician and a psychiatrist, respectively and were questioned by Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (ASEX). Results were analysed by NCSS (Number Cruncher Statistical System) software program, 2007. A p value <0.05 was accepted significant.

Results: In terms of DEP and S-Exp, there were no significant differences between the BDI and ASEX values of the subjects below and above their thresholds according to the predetermined variables (each p>0.05), except for treatment modalities in which the rate of DEP in subjects who received cryotherapy (CT)+trichloroacetic acid (TCA) was higher than those who solely received CT treatment (p<0.003). Ninety-three percentages of the subjects had inadequate disease knowledge or misperceptions.

Conclusion: Psychosexual adversities of AGWs on DEP and S-Exp can be determined significantly lower in refugees because the reasons of inadequate or wrong disease knowledge such as ignorance / misperceptions/superstitions, and/or, indifference to their diseases, because radical changes in understanding of quality of life (QoL), which are stemmed from harsh living conditions.

Author(s): Betul Tas, Filiz Kulacaoglu, Murat Altuntas
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