Sexual dysfunctions in alcohol-dependent men: A study from north India

Abstract

Background & objectives:Sexual dysfunctions have been reported in alcohol-dependent men. Most of the studies conducted had limitation of using non-validated measures of sexual dysfunction and sampling design. This study was, therefore, conducted to determine the typology, demographic and clinical correlates of sexual dysfunction in alcohol-dependent men.Methods:One hundred and one patients with alcohol dependence (AD) attending the Drug De-addiction and Treatment Centre and 50 healthy controls were evaluated in this cross-sectional study. Participants in both the groups were assessed on Arizona Sexual experience scale (ASEX), Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). In addition, patients with AD were assessed on Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (SADQ) for severity of AD and revised clinical institute withdrawal assessment for alcohol scale (CIWA-Ar) to ensure that no participant was in active alcohol withdrawal state.Results:Overall, 58.4 per cent of patients in the AD group had sexual dysfunction. Among the domains, the highest frequency was seen for dysfunction for arousal (57.4%), followed by problems in desire (54.4%), erection (36.6%), satisfaction with orgasm (34.6%) and ability to reach orgasm was least affected (12.87%). The patient and control groups differed significantly in overall dyadic adjustment, in the domains of dyadic satisfaction and affective expression.Interpretation & conclusions:The finding of this study showed that a significant proportion of patients with AD has sexual dysfunction. Longitudinal studies using validated assessment tools should be done to confirm these findings.

Prevalence and correlates of sexual health disorders among adult men in a rural area of North India: An observational study

“…Among the lifestyle factors, smoking, tobacco chewing, alcohol dependence, and opioid dependence have been implicated. [ 16 17 18 ] Diabetes mellitus,[ 19 ] psychiatric disorders,[ 20 21 22 23 ] and coronary artery disease[ 24 ] were common comorbidities associated with different sexual health disorders. Erectile dysfunction (ED) has also been found to be related to poor marital and sexual satisfaction in a study done in Northern India.…”

“…[ 26 27 ] There is a lack of clear understanding of factors that influence the occurrence of sexual health disorders in the Indian context, especially substance abuse which has been shown to be significantly associated with sexual disorders. [ 16 17 18 ] In India, studies on sexual health disorders are largely limited to hospital settings. [ 15 28 ] Therefore, we planned this community-based study with the objective to estimate the prevalence of various sexual health disorders and their associated factors among adult men residing in a rural community of Haryana, India.…”

Structured review of the use of the Arizona sexual experiences scale in clinical settings

“…the highest frequency of dysfunction according to individual items was for arousal (57.4%), followed by problems in desire (54.4%), erection (36.6%), satisfaction with orgasm (34.6%), and ability to reach orgasm (12.87%): patients and controls (n = 50), differed significantly in overall dyadic adjustment, in the domains of dyadic satisfaction and affective expression (Pendharkar et al, 2016).…”

“…The ASEX has been utilized in patients with alcohol and/or substance use disorders (Diehl et al, 2016;Dişsiz et al, 2010;Gerra et al, 2016;Pendharkar et al, 2016;Venkatesh et al, 2014). In the first such study, 89.9% of women with alcohol and substance dependence (n = 126), were found to have ASEX-determined sexual dysfunction (Dişsiz et al, 2010).…”

Alcohol and fertility: how much is too much?

“…A decrease in the quality of semen parameters has also been consistently documented in heavy consumers of alcohol, even with occasional azoospermia [ 50 ]. Furthermore, it has been well documented that alcohol abuse and acute intoxication are associated with sexual dysfunction, including issues with arousal and desire, as well as erectile and ejaculatory dysfunction, all of which could lead to difficulties conceiving if men are unable to have effective intercourse [ 48 , 49 , 51 ].…”