Preliminary study with bicalutamide in heterosexual and homosexual patients with prostate cancer: a possible implication of androgens in male homosexual arousal

Abstract

functioning measured by the IIEF prior to commencing bicalutamide treatment.• Then, about five weeks later, patients were asked to prospectively provide information regarding their current sexual functioning while undergoing bicalutamide treatment. RESULTS• Overall IIEF scores as well as the Erectile Function, Orgasmic Function, Sexual Desire, and Overall Satisfaction subscales showed group, treatment, and group by treatment effects.• The Intercourse Satisfaction subscale showed group and group by treatment effects.• On most subscales, homosexual men showed lower functioning than heterosexual men, primarily in response to treatment with bicalutamide. CONCLUSIONS• Treatment with an anti-androgen in a clinical population of men undergoing therapy for prostate cancer affected homosexual men more than heterosexual men, although not all heterosexual men were un affected.• These results are discussed in the context of dual sexual natures, a concept recently developed in the sexual literature.• Furthermore, these findings reiterate the importance of incorporating such variables as sexual orientation into studies investigating medical treatments on sexual response. What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? A recent published paper regarding sexual and cognitive duality presents that androgens act synergic with female sexual pheromones while estrogens would act synergic with male sexual pheromones in normal potent men.The same authors found in this study that bicalutamide disfavours sexual function predominantly in homosexual rather than heterosexual men suffering with prostate cancer. The results of this study are interpreted alone in this article, the similarities and differences with results corresponding to younger and normal potent men following to be discussed recently in a review regarding psychosexual dualism.

Cancer and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/transsexual, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) populations

“…It has been suggested that the effects of prostate cancer treatment on sexual function and quality of life may differ by sexual orientation. 134 Three studies 140–142 reported poorer outcomes and decreased quality of life among gay men with prostate cancer compared with heterosexual men or published norms. In contrast, a larger study among men with prostate cancer in the United States, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, and other countries reported no significant differences in sexual function scores between heterosexual men and gay and bisexual men.…”

Revisión sistemática sobre la satisfacción sexual en parejas del mismo sexo

“…Los pensamientos negativos y no eróticos que experimenta automáticamente la persona durante la actividad sexual se asocian con una baja satisfacción sexual. Presentar compulsión sexual (Starks, Grov y Parsons, 2013), haber sido víctima de abuso sexual infantil (Crump y Byers, 2017;Weingourt, 1998), el abuso de alcohol (Dolezal, Remien, Wagner, Carballo-Diéguez y Hung, 2015), mayor edad (Biss y Horne, 2005;De Ryck et al, 2012), tener relaciones sexuales sin el consentimiento propio (De Ryck et al, 2012), la preocupación por adquirir una infección de transmisión sexual (De Ryck et al, 2012), tomar fármacos que reducen la libido (De Ryck et al, 2012;Motofei, Rowland, Popa, Kreienkamp y Paunica, 2011) y mayor percepción de malestar (Burri et al, 2012), presentar un estilo de apego de tipo ansioso o evitativo (Mark, Patrick y Murray, 2017) son variables asociadas con niveles bajos de satisfacción sexual. Por otra parte, mantener ilusiones sexuales positivas, es decir, tener la percepción de que con la pareja se tienen similitudes y complementariedad (De Jong y Reis, 2015), tener una buena autopercepción del atractivo sexual (Amos y McCabe, 2015) y motivos para tener relaciones sexuales con el fin de mejorar la intimidad con la pareja (Sánchez, Moss-Racusin, Phelan y Crocker, 2011) son variables personales relacionadas con mayor satisfacción sexual.…”

Long-term chemical castration induces depressive symptoms by suppressing serotonin expression in rats

“…Bicalutamide is known to exert its effect through the competitive inhibition of androgen receptors, and it is known to have little effect on serum testosterone levels (Furr and Tucker 1996). Motofei et al (2011) reported that bicalutamide exerted no significant effect on libido in heterosexual men with prostate cancer. According to the data found in the present study, surgical castration and goserelin lowered testosterone levels and suppressed sexual activity.…”