Determining the Correlation Between Sexual Satisfaction and Loneliness Levels in Patients with Hemodialysis in a Muslim Community

Patients living with hemodialysis (HD) will be adapting to chronic renal failure and its many psychosocial and physiological
problems. The aim of this study is to determine the correlation between sexual satisfaction and loneliness levels in patients
with HD in a Muslim community. This descriptive correlation study was conducted in the hemodialysis units between August 2008
and February 2009 in the Faculty of Medicine at Ondokuz Mayıs University and in a private hemodialysis centre. A total of
131 patients with HD in Northern Turkey were included in this study. The data in the research was collected by using a demographic,
clinic information questionnaire, the Golombok-Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS) and the UCLA Loneliness Scale.
Descriptive statistics, an analysis of variance test, the Tukey test, a Chi-square test and contingency coefficient statistics
were used to summarize the data. In this study it was found that there is a statistically significant correlation between
five items (sexual frequency, communication, satisfaction, avoidance and sensuality), which are included in both male and
female GRISS forms, and loneliness level (p < 0.05). If patients with HD are better supported and cared for, these negative physiopsychosocial consequences might be
prevented or at least decreased.