Sexual dysfunction in males with hepatitis C virus: Relevance to histopathologic changes and peginterferon treatment

Abstract

Background/Aim:The frequency of sexual dysfunction (SD) is not well known in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). In spite of the fact that histological benefits of peginterferon (Peg-IFN)/ribavirin therapy are well established, the effects on sexual health are less certain. To assess the prevalence of the SD and explore its relevance to histopathologic changes and Peg-IFN treatment.Materials and Methods:The study included 100 HCV males; all the patients completed questionnaires to assess their sexual function before and during the treatment.Results:Before treatment, SD was reported only by 12 (19.4%) and 10 (29.4%) patients of early and advanced liver fibrosis, respectively. SD during HCV treatment (with Peg-IFN and ribavirin) for liver fibrosis was significant, as 24 (70.6%) out of 34 (100%) of HCV patients had advanced fibrosis but only 20 (32.3%) out of 62 (100%) patients had early fibrosis and were sexually affected (P = 0.01). SD before treatment was found in 22 (22%) patients; 16 (16%) were >40 years old and 6 (6%) patients were ≤40 years old. SD showed highly significant (P = 0.001) difference prior to and during treatment. Pre treatment, 78 (78%) patients denied any SD and only 22 (22%) were sexually affected, while during treatment, the number of patients who were sexually affected rose to 44 (44%). The rest of the group [56 (56%)] did not report any sexual impairment.Conclusion:SD was noticed during Peg-IFN and ribavirin treatment in patients with advanced liver fibrosis. Age and advanced liver fibrosis were important factors in inducing SD. This is of key importance for clinical practice as it modifies the management of HCV patients.

Sexual dysfunction and dissatisfaction in chronic hepatitis C patients

“…Previous studies in the general population 33,34 and in CHC patients 3,14,31 have demonstrated that older age is a risk factor for SD. This study found that older age was associated with SD only among men.…”

“…Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (CHC) is a worldwide health problem that affects approximately 160 million people 2 . Sexual transmission of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been thoroughly investigated; however, studies of SD and satisfaction with sexual life among CHC patients are scarce 3 .…”

“…Depressive disorders and antidepressant use are commonly associated with SD in the general population 9 . Most studies of SD in CHC patients have focused on male patients 3,[5][6][7][10][11][12][13] . Few studies have systematically investigated SD in women with CHC.…”

Sexual Dysfunction; Patients With Chronic Liver Disease

“…14 Similar prevalence of sexual dysfunction in male patients 22% was seen in the study conducted by El-Atrebi KA et al 18 Sorrel JH et al reported that in his study females were having more sexual dysfunction as compared to males. 19 Fábregas BC et al also showed association of female gender with sexual dysfunction.…”

Dysregulation of male sex hormones in chronic hepatitis C patients

“…Sexual dysfunction reached more than 70% during the treatment, particularly in patients over 40 years old. In addition, the affection of sexual activity varied in relation to the liver status (El‐Atrebi et al ., ). According to Hofny et al ., about one‐third of patients in mid‐thirties were diagnosed with primary infertility.…”