IC and Sexuality Results

This survey is intended to explore the impact of IC on IC patients' sexuality.

Period: May 14, 2003-- November 21, 2003
Total Responses: 1054

1. What is your gender?

Female (93.2%)
Male (6.8%)

2. What is your age?

Under 21 (4.2%)
21 - 30 (29.2%)
31 - 40 (28.5%)
41 - 50 (22.7%)
51 - 60 (11.7%)
61 - 70 (2.9%)
71 - 80 (0.8%)
Over 80 (0.1%)

3. Have you been diagnosed with IC?

Yes (84.1%)
No (15.9%)

3b. If no, do you experience the symptoms of IC (pain, urinary frequency and urgency), but have never been officially diagnosed?

Yes (98.2%)
No (1.8%)

4. Do you feel that your IC negatively affects your ability to share sexual intimacy with your partner?

Yes (91.5%)
No (8.5%)

5. Do you experience increased IC pain and/or urinary urgency/frequency because of sexual activities?

Yes (92.5%)
No (7.5%)

6. If you experience increased pain with sexual activity, are you able to have intercourse?

Yes (64.7%)
No (35.3%)

7. Are you able to participate in any form of sexual activity with your partner?

Yes (81.4%)
No (18.6%)

8. Do the symptoms of IC decrease the frequency of your sexual activity?

Yes (89.3%)
No (10.7%)

9. Do you feel that IC has decreased your libido (desire for sex)?

Yes (84.0%)
No (16.0%)

10. If you are taking medications to treat your IC, do you feel that these medications have diminished your ability to become sexually aroused?

Yes (36.2%)
No (63.8%)

11. Do you abstain completely from sexual intimacy because of your IC symptoms?

Yes (22.1%)
No (77.9%)

12. Do you experience flares in your IC symptoms before and/or during and/or after sexual activities (please choose as many as applicable)?

Before sexual activites (13.7%)
During sexual activites (33.1%)
After sexual activites(53.2%)

13. Do you feel that your partner understands how IC affects you sexually?

Yes (53.1%)
No (46.9%)

14. Has your treating physician been willing to discuss with you the sexual problems that you may be encountering because of your IC?

Yes (51.5%)
No (48.5%)

15. Do you feel that your treating physician is comfortable discussing IC-related sexual issues with you?

Yes (60.7%)
No (39.3%)

16. Has your treating physician ever offered you advice and/or treatments (lidocaine gel, pain relievers, etc.) to help you with IC-related sexual concerns?

Yes (25.8%)
No (74.2%)

17. Have you ever been involved in a relationship that has ended because of IC-related sexual issues?

Yes (14.4%)
No (85.6%)

18. Have you ever decided not to begin an intimate relationship with a potential partner because of your IC?

Yes (21.5%)
No (78.5%)