Cardiovascular Physiology and Responses to Sexual Activity in Individuals Living with Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract

Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) may profoundly impact autonomic function producing a variable degree of dysfunction in cardiovascular, bronchopulmonary, sweating, bladder, bowel, and sexual function. The cardiovascular system is crucially important for sexual function, as it is responsible for blood flow shifts to cavernous and musculoskeletal tissue during sexual activity. This system is prone to 3 main abnormalities after SCI including low resting blood pressure (LRBP), orthostatic hypotension (OH), and autonomic dysreflexia (AD), all of which have important effects on sexual function. Methods: We review the current etiological mechanisms and manifestations of cardiovascular dysfunction after SCI and discuss how this is documented to impact sexual function in individuals living with SCI. Conclusions: All individuals with SCI at or above the T6 neurologic level have an increased risk of AD during sexual stimulation, with increasing risk associated with higher levels of injury and greater completeness of injury. AD can be silent, and individuals living with SCI should be aware of blood pressure values at baseline and during sexual activity. Clinicians performing vibrostimulation fertility procedures need to be aware of the risk of AD and consider pretreatment if needed. Researchers studying the cardiovascular response to sexual stimulation should consider continuous monitoring of blood pressure, as intermittent monitoring may underestimate true blood pressure values.