Prevalence and Correlates of Erectile Dysfunction (ED) and Treatment Seeking for ED in Asian Men: The Asian Men's Attitudes to Life Events and Sexuality (MALES) Study

Abstract

Introduction There have been limited multiregional studies in Asia examining the parameters of men's general and sexual health and quality of life in the general population vs. those in clinical cohorts of patients with erectile dysfunction (ED). Aims The aims of the Asian Men's Attitudes to Life Events and Sexuality (Asian MALES) study were to investigate the prevalence of ED, associated health conditions, and ED treatment-seeking patterns in the general male population in five regions of Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and Taiwan). Main Outcome Measure Standardized questionnaire previously used in a similar multiregional study and modified to ensure culturally appropriate content for Asia. Methods Phase I of the study involved 10,934 adult men, aged 20–75 years, who were interviewed using the standardized questionnaire. Phase II of the study involved men with self-reported ED recruited from Phase I and via physician referral, invitations in general practitioner offices, and street interception (total Phase II sample, N=1,209). Results The overall prevalence of self-reported ED in the Phase I study population was 6.4%. ED prevalence varied by region and significantly increased with age (P <0.01). Men with ED reported significantly greater rates of comorbid illness (P <0.0001) and a reduced quality of life (P =0.0001), compared with men without ED. Phase II of the study revealed that fewer than half of men with self-reported ED had sought treatment for their problem. Men were more likely to seek help for erection difficulties from Western doctors than from traditional medicine practitioners (P =0.0001). A man's partner/spouse was the most common influencer of treatment seeking in all regions except Malaysia. Conclusion The findings confirm those of existing research on ED in both Asian and non-Asian males: ED is a prevalent condition; the prevalence of ED increases with age and is strongly associated with comorbid conditions; and the majority of men have never sought treatment for their condition. This study highlights a substantial need for the evaluation and treatment of ED in Asian men.

Effect of Eurycoma Longifolia on Sexual Behavior in Sexually Dysfunctional Male: A Systematic Review

“…Though effective in circumventing the cause of ED, oral sildenafil therapy provides only short-term symptomatic relief of the condition [17]. The Asian MALES study has revealed that a majority or near majority of Asian men with self-reported ED have never sought treatment [18]. Meanwhile, testosterone replacement therapy is the treatment option for hormonal causes of ED.…”

“…It was also not uncommon for Asian men to consider traditional herbal medicine as an alternative to improve their sexual well-being [18]. The increased incidence of male sexual dysfunction has leads to more and rapid scientific search into plants with aphrodisiac potential [22].…”

Profile of men's health in Malaysia: problems and challenges

“…10,11 Although much of the knowledge about men's health and the causes of men's health problems is derived from studies conducted in developed countries in the West, there is increasing interest in men's health in East Asian countries, and a few multinational studies on men's health-seeking behaviour have been successfully conducted. [12][13][14] However, most men's health research in Asian countries is disease oriented, and Malaysia is no exception.…”

Prevalence and medical management of erectile dysfunction in Asia

“…We reviewed 20 general population studies of ED in Asian regions (Table 1). [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] Among them, there were three important epidemiological studies of ED in Asian populations: the GSSAB subgroup study in Asian countries, 12 the Asian Men's Attitudes to Life Events and Sexuality study 11 and the Asian Survey of Aging Males. 15 The GSSAB subgroup study compared sexual behaviours, the prevalence of sexual dysfunction and help-seeking patterns in nine Asian countries.…”

“…In that study, the self-reported prevalence of ED was the highest in Japan (14%) and the lowest in Malaysia (3%). 11 The Asian Survey of Aging Males survey was conducted in 1155 men aged 50-80 years from Hong Kong (China), Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand. ED was reported by 63% of the participants, via the sexual function using Danish prostate symptom score questionnaire.…”