Do you think that celiac disease can affect your first date?

This question has been answered by the group of Lebovits et al., who presented a poster at the last International Congress of Celiac Disease, ICDS Sorrento 2022. In this poster, they reflected the result of a study carried out on a total of 538 celiacs, who were asked to complete a survey about their attitudes and behaviors before dating.

Some of the most important results were:

  • 68% of the participants stated that the gluten-free diet had a significant/moderate impact on their first appointments.
  • 9% of patients did not share their celiac disease diagnosis with their partner… until the fourth date or when the relationship was more stable.
  • 39% of participants shared that they were hesitant to kiss their partner due to celiac disease.
  • Almost 40% felt uncomfortable having to explain to the waiters that they had celiac disease. In fact, almost 8% of the participants acknowledged that they intentionally consumed gluten.
  • Additionally, around 23% of celiacs reported that their symptoms affected physical intimacy.

 

Reference: Lebovits J, Lee AR, Ciaccio EJ, et al. Impact of Celiac Disease on Dating. Dig Dis Sci. 2022;67(11):5158-5167.