Background/Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of Swedish patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) regarding intimacy and sexuality-related issues, and to explore both patients’ and healthcare professionals’ perspectives on discussing these topics. Methods: This cross-sectional cohort study used two internet-based questionnaires: one targeting patients and the other healthcare professionals. The patient survey examined the impact of IBD and its treatment on relationships and sexuality, as well as expectations on healthcare support. The survey of healthcare professionals focused on experiences of discussing sexuality-related topics with IBD patients. Responses were analyzed using both quantitative and content analysis. Results: A total of 556 IBD patients and 118 healthcare professionals responded. Among patients, 78% reported difficulties related to relationships and sexuality, with physical symptoms like pain, fecal urgency, and bloating, and psychological problems such as fear of leakage and reduced sexual desire. Over half wished for these issues to be addressed in routine care, yet 84% had never initiated such discussions themselves. Among healthcare professionals, 23% never addressed issues of relationship and sexuality with patients, and another 50% did so only occasionally. Only 15% had access to qualified sexologists for referrals, and just 8% offered sexual rehabilitation after pelvic surgery. Conclusions: Sexual health is frequently compromised in IBD patients, especially in women, but remains insufficiently addressed in clinical practice. Both patients and healthcare professionals expressed a need for more open discussions about relationships and sexuality. Improving care requires routine screening, multidisciplinary support, and the development of guidelines for managing sexual dysfunction in IBD.

Background/Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of Swedish patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) regarding intimacy and sexu-ality-related issues, and to explore both patient and healthcare professionals perspec-tives on discussing these topics. Methods: This cross-sectional cohort study used two in-ternet-based questionnaires: one targeting patients and the other healthcare profession-als. The patient survey examined the impact of IBD and its treatment on relationships and sexuality, and expectations on healthcare support. The survey to healthcare profes-sionals focused on experiences of discussing sexuality-related topics with IBD patients. Responses were analyzed with quantative analysis and content analysis. Results: A to-tal of 556 IBD patients and 118 healthcare professionals responded. Among patients, 78% reported difficulties related to relationships and sexuality, with physical symptoms like pain, fecal urgency, bloating, and psychological problems such as fear of leakage and reduced sexual desire. Over half wished for these issues to be addressed in routine care, yet 84% had never themselves initiated such discussions. Among healthcare pro-fessionals, 23% never addressed issues on relationship and sexuality with patients, and another 50% did so only occasionally. Only 15% had access to qualified sexologists for referrals and just 8% offered sexual rehabilitation after pelvic surgery. Conclusions: Sexual health is frequently compromised in IBD patients, but remains insufficiently addressed in clinical practice. Both patients and healthcare professionals expressed a need for more open discussions about relationships and sexuality. Improving care re-quires routine screening, multidisciplinary support, and the development of guidelines for managing sexual dysfunction in IBD.

Background: Stress may have an impact on the course of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but evidence is still lacking regarding a potential association between perceived (subjective) stress and objectively measured stress, and whether patients’ levels of stress in relapse differ from those in remission. The aim of this study was to investigate patients’ level of stress in relapse and in remission. Methods: Twenty-three patients with active IBD participated in the study. Cortisol was assessed in saliva and in blood to obtain objective measurements. For subjective meas-urements, the patients completed the Short Health Scale (SHS) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) questionnaires. Physiological measurements were taken and questionnaires com-pleted at the beginning of relapse and when the patient was classified as being in re-mission. Relapses and remissions were determined by endoscopic examination and faecal calprotectin. Results: Cortisol levels did not differ between measurements in active disease and in remission. PSS showed no differences between the two measurements, but on both oc-casions medium-high levels of stress were shown. Inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8 showed significantly lowered values at remission. Conclusion: This study demonstrated moderate levels of perceived stress in patients with IBD, both during active disease and remission. However, no evidence of elevated ob-jective stress was found when levels of cortisol in saliva were measured. Further research is needed to establish the possible association between stress and IBD and how it affects patients.

Background/Objectives. Fatigue is defined as an overwhelming sense of tiredness, weakness, or ex-haustion, which can be physical, psychological, or a combination of both. Evidence suggests that fa-tigue is more prevalent among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) than in the general population. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of fatigue among Swedish IBD pa-tients. Another aim was to increase knowledge about factors that may contribute to fatigue, and strat-egies for managing fatigue. Methods. Swedish IBD patients were asked to complete the IBD Fatigue Scale. Analyses involved both a quantitative and a qualitative approach. Results. A total of 675 pa-tients participated in the study. Patients with active disease, continuous symptoms, extraintestinal manifestations, and impaired wellbeing had higher scores of fatigue. Four categories relating to fa-tigue were identified: (1) fatigue difficult to define and attribute, (2) fatigue arising from interacting bodily and psychosocial burdens, (3) managing a limited and fluctuating supply of energy, and (4) restoring energy through activity, support and recovery. Participants frequently described fatigue as arising from an interaction between disease activity, comorbid conditions, psychological distress, sleep problems, pain, and everyday life demands. Conclusions. Although fatigue was more severe among participants with active disease, continuous symptoms and impaired wellbeing, the free-text responses demonstrated that patients frequently perceived comorbidities, disturbed sleep, pain, psy-chological distress and demanding life circumstances as additional contributors. Management in-volved balancing rest and activity, planning limited energy, and drawing on supportive relationships and restorative environments. These findings support a holistic and person-centred approach in which fatigue is assessed beyond intestinal disease activity.

Background: Stress may have an impact on the course of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but evidence is still lacking regarding a potential association between perceived (subjective) stress and objectively measured stress and whether patients’ levels of stress in relapse differ from those in remission. The aim of this study was to investigate patients’ level of stress in relapse and in remission. Methods: Twenty-three patients with active IBD participated in the study. Cortisol was assessed in saliva and in blood to obtain objective measurements. For subjective measurements, the patients completed the Short Health Scale (SHS) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) questionnaires. Physiological measurements were taken, and questionnaires were completed at the beginning of relapse and when the patient was classified as being in remission. Relapses and remissions were determined by endoscopic examination and faecal calprotectin. Results: Cortisol levels did not differ between measurements in active disease and in remission (7.50 ± 5.52 vs. 5.55 ± 2.65). PSS showed no differences between the two measurements (13 vs. 16, p-value 0.83). Inflammatory cytokines IL-6 (1.97 ± 2.47 vs. 0.72 ± 0.43, p < 0.05) and IL-8 (6.84 ± 3.57 vs. 2.94 ± 2.79, p < 0.001) were significantly lower during remission compared with active disease. Conclusions: This study demonstrated low to moderate levels of perceived stress in patients with IBD during active disease and remission. The results also showed significantly elevated levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8 in serum during relapse compared with remission. However, no evidence of elevated objective stress was found when levels of cortisol in saliva were measured. Further research is needed to establish the possible association between stress and IBD and how it affects patients.