Psoriasis is a skin disease, not contagious, chronic, serious and considered limiting, resulting prejudice, stigma and social exclusion providing loss in quality of life.Mostly affects self-image of affected people, as well as self-esteem and self-concept.These disease characteristics bring great losses in occupational areas, damaging interpersonal relationships of individuals, which may cause impact on various occupational areas, including sexuality, which translates not only as sex itself, but also as identity, social roles, pleasure, reproduction and other. The aim of this study was to investigate the self-image of individuals with psoriasis and their influence on sexuality. This is a qualitative study of a case study with seven patients in the Reference Center, Support and Treatment Paraíba State Psoriasis installed in the clinic of the University Hospital LauroWanderley – Universidade Federal da Paraíba. Data were collected through semi-structured interview, categorized and treated according to the Content Analysis. The results show that psoriasis affects the sexuality of individuals, more significantly in women's fashion, as attribute different meanings to the body, for reasons of aesthetics and beauty.Men also feel affected, but in view of the achievement, caring companionship, and seek to clarify their partners or future partners and their relationships, about the disease. We note here the influence of culture to gender conditions.
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations