Erectile Dysfunction, Psychological Disorders, and Sexual Performance Among Men Seeking Medical Help for Fertility

Overview

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS), sexual health is directly related to everyone's mental health and quality of life. Sexuality is innate to humans and is closely linked to their reproduction. Thus, a correlation between unmet fertility desires and sexual disorders can be observed in infertile couples. In fact, sexual intercourse itself will not be as natural in most cases and will preferentially occur during the "reproductive window". Thus, sexuality will be deprived of recreational and erotic activities, and sexuality will be used only for reproduction. For many men, sexual intercourse will become coercive, repetitive and mechanical, offering little emotion. The interactions between infertility and wife recurrent miscarriage in sexuality are numerous and complex. Many men will perceive their infertility as a loss of masculinity and virility and may feel low self-esteem and depression, in addition, Decreased sperm quality may lead to anxiety in men, which may eventually lead to temporary Sexual Dysfunction (SD).Therefore, the need to identify SD and its severity is crucial for infertile men before receiving individualized male treatment.

In this study, a cross-sectional and clinical survey was conducted using a questionnaire method in the male department of the reproductive center of the First Hospital of Jilin University, China. The questionnaire included general population information, International Index of Sexual Function-5 (IIEF-5), Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT), General Anxiety Disorder-7 and CPSI. The inclusion criteria were: 1, men living with their wives and planning to have children; 2, men seeking medical help for preconception tests, infertility, and recurrent miscarriage of their wives; and 3, consenting to participate in the survey and signing an informed consent form. Exclusion criteria were: 1, men with significant genital malformations, severe cardiovascular disease, stroke and mental disorders; 2, men who could not live with their female partners every day because they worked in different cities; 3, medical history of female partners with reproductive system abnormalities by gynecological examination. Investigators also collect relevant test results (if any) from the included patients during the visit. All patients routinely undergo a detailed male examination; for patients with preconception testing, the examination may include sperm quality, blood group, infection items (hepatitis B, hepatitis C, syphilis, AIDS), TORCH, etc; For infertile patients, only a sperm quality is performed in the first step; For patients whose wives have had recurrent miscarriages and are preparing to conceive again, the examination may include a detailed male examination, sperm quality, Chromosomes, blood group, infections (hepatitis B, C, syphilis, AIDS), TORCH, etc. If no abnormality is found, there is no follow-up examination, and if there is abnormality, further follow-up examination will be performed according to the process of Chinese Male Disease Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines (2016). All consultations are in accordance with the process of Chinese Male Disease Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines (2016). This study will not increase the physical and financial burden of the subjects.