Sexual relationships, breathlessness and the respiratory patient

The rising incidence of a range of respiratory disorders means an increasing emphasis
on treatment, management and care. Although some respiratory diseases are acute,
many are chronic, bringing with them a burden of morbidity affecting patients in many
areas of everyday life. One area of concern for patients may be sexual functioning so
somewhere in the process of management and care the practice nurse may need to address the
issues of sexuality (Petty 1986, Kaptein et al. 2008).