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Rheumatologists don’t always bring up the topic of how RA affects sex, so you may have to. WHich can seem daunting. In my new column for HealthCentral, I share tips for starting a conversation with your doctor about how RA affects your sex life:

“WHEN YOU HAVE rheumatoid arthritis (RA) it affects all aspects of your life and I do mean every single one. Including sex. When pain and fatigue accompany physical activity and intimacy, talking to a healthcare professional about how to do the deed without hurting your joints is important. Unfortunately, very few doctors actually bring up the sexual part of health. It’s on you to ask, and that can be, well, a little awkward no matter how comfortable you are with your rheumatologist. So when you’ve been in an epic dry spell—or are trying to prevent one—how do you get your doctor to talk about sex?

I’ve had autoimmune arthritis and a disability since childhood, which means a lot of years of seeing a lot of doctors. At no point in that time has a doctor ever asked if I had any questions about how RA might affect my sexuality. Fast forward to current time and many in the RA community are still in the same boat. A study in the Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology surveyed a variety of health professionals (doctors, social workers, nurses), 96% of whom believed sexuality was a relevant topic in rheumatology, but 71% never raised the issue, instead relying on the patient to initiate. To be fair there isn’t a lot of conversation about sexuality in medical care in general.”

Read the column on talking to your doctor about sex and RA on HealthCentral.