Baring It All

Inflammatory arthritis, rheumatic and psoriatic diseases commonly affect people in the prime of their lives and can often lead to a variety of reproductive and sexual health-related concerns. To address this, the Canadian Psoriasis Network along with the Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance (CAPA), the Canadian Association of Psoriasis Patients (CAPP), and the Canadian Spondylitis Association (CSA) co-developed and launched the Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Survey on International Women’s Day 2021.

The results were analyzed and this month we launched the first-ever report of its kind in Canada that looks at the needs and experiences of women+ with inflammatory arthritis, psoriatic, and rheumatic diseases across life stages. We surveyed over 400 participants, exploring a variety of topics important to women+ with these conditions including contraception, sexual health, family planning considerations, parenting, menopause and mental health. Participants also shared their experiences with accessing health benefits, including medications, and their experiences with understanding treatments as it relates to their sexual and reproductive health.