Guide to Intimacy with Arthritis

Who's Who
We consulted the following experts in search of the answers to your questions:

• Michael Belmont, MD, is a rheumatologist and is assistant director of rheumatology and medical director of the Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York City.
• Carolyn Dodge was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis at age 3 and now leads sexuality seminars for young adults with arthritis. She is vice president of patient and community services for the Southern California Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation in Los Angeles.
• Jackson Rainer, PhD, is a psychologist who specializes in counseling couples facing arthritis and other chronic illnesses. He is an associate professor of psychology in the graduate school at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, N.C., and practices psychotherapy at Woodridge Psychological Associates in Rutherfordton, N.C.
• Judith Seifer, PhD, is a registered nurse and assistant clinical professor at Wright State University School of Medicine in Dayton, Ohio. She is a community health educator who speaks on sexuality, chronic illness and gerontology to the public and to physicians.