{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T06:03:42Z","timestamp":1790661822311,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790640000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"\n Background<\/jats:title>\n Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remains a major global public health burden, yet sexual health is rarely addressed in routine care. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of sexual dysfunction (SD) and examine demographic, clinical, and psychological factors associated with sexual function among noncirrhotic patients with CHB. We also explored the association between sexual function and the perceived negative impact of HBV infectivity on sexual life.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n \n This cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2023 to July 2024, enrolling 657 patients with CHB and 121 non-HBV controls. Patients with CHB were classified by treatment status as receiving pegylated interferon \u03b1-2b (\n n<\/jats:italic>\n =\u202f391), receiving nucleos(t)ide analogues (\n n<\/jats:italic>\n =\u202f203), or not receiving antiviral therapy (\n n<\/jats:italic>\n =\u202f63). Sexual function was assessed using the IIEF-5, EHS, and PEDT in men and the FSFI in women. Psychological status was assessed with the PHQ-9 and GAD-7, and the perceived negative impact of HBV infectivity on sexual life was assessed using a single exploratory yes\/no item. Hierarchical multiple linear regression was used to identify factors associated with sexual function scores.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n \n The prevalence of SD was significantly higher in all CHB subgroups than in Non-HBV group, with the highest prevalence observed in the IFN-CHB group, both in men (70.9%) and women (70.8%). In multivariable models, older age, IFN-CHB status, and higher PHQ-9 scores were associated with lower sexual function scores in both sexes. Of the variables examined, IFN-CHB status showed the strongest negative association in men (\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f\u22120.267,\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f&lt;\u202f0.001), whereas PHQ-9 score showed the strongest negative association in women (\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f\u22120.312,\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f0.006). A perceived negative impact of HBV infectivity on sexual life was reported by 21.6% of men and 24.7% of women with CHB. Men reporting this perception had lower IIEF-5 scores (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n &lt;\u202f0.001), and women reporting it had lower FSFI scores (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n =\u202f0.020).\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n Sexual dysfunction was common among sexually active patients with CHB, and poorer sexual function was associated with IFN-CHB status, depressive symptoms, and the perceived negative impact of HBV infectivity on sexual life. Sexual health assessment and mental health support may therefore have value in comprehensive CHB care.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1906589","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T05:46:42Z","timestamp":1790660802000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Sexual dysfunction, depressive symptoms, and perceived impact of HBV infectivity among noncirrhotic patients with chronic hepatitis B: a cross-sectional study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Chengrun","family":"Song","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jing","family":"Zhou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jiangnan","family":"Peng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yujing","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sahar","family":"Muzammal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Enqiang","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","year":"2026"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100370","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhepr.2021.100370","article-title":"Quality of life and unmet needs in patients with chronic liver disease: a mixed-method systematic review","volume":"3","author":"Gronkjaer","year":"2021","journal-title":"JHEP Rep"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"453","DOI":"10.18502\/ijph.v52i3.12129","article-title":"Health-related quality of life in patients with chronic hepatitis B: a meta-analysis of observational studies","volume":"52","author":"Saussakova","year":"2023","journal-title":"Iran J Public Health"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"23","DOI":"10.1186\/s12978-025-02254-0","article-title":"The impact of chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C 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internet survey","volume":"17","author":"Okumura","year":"2021","journal-title":"Womens Health"},{"key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1562","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jsxm.2022.07.004","article-title":"Physical and mental health problems and their associations with inter-personal sexual inactivity and sexual dysfunctions in Denmark: baseline assessment in a National Cohort Study","volume":"19","author":"Bahnsen","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Sex Med"},{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e030708","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2019-030708","article-title":"Prevalence and types of sexual inactivity in Britain: analyses of national cross-sectional probability survey data","volume":"9","author":"Ueda","year":"2019","journal-title":"BMJ Open"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Public 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