Investigation of Sexual Function in Men with Spinal Cord Injury in a Rehabilitation Hospital in Turkey

Abstract

Sexual function is one of the most important functions for males with spinal cord (SC) injuries, and there are wide ranges and conflicting results about sexual dysfunction and the frequency of education of these patients. The aim of our retrospective study is to evaluate sexual function and to determine the level of sexual education provided by medical professionals in males with SC injury. Eighty-one inpatient males with SC injury were included in the study. "International Index of Erectile Function" and "International Spinal Cord Injury Male Sexual Function Basic Data Set" were used to evaluate sexual function. The median age of the patients was 31 years old (range 20-63), and the median disease duration was 190 days (range 30-5475). Of 81 patients, 55.6% had C1-T10, 33.3% had T11-L2, and 11.1% had L3 and lower injury. Of the patients, 90.1% were never informed about the impact of SC injury on sexual function. The rates of normal psychogenic and reflex erection were 16 and 18.5%, respectively. Erectile dysfunction was severe in 66.7% and moderate in 16% of patients. Only 4.9% of patients had normal ejaculation and 7.4% had normal orgasmic function. Sexual desire was very high or high in 49.4% and moderate in 32.1%. Overall, sexual satisfaction was high or moderate in only 6.2% of patients. Sexual education rates of male SC injured persons are very low. Although most of the patients have normal sexual desire, erection, ejaculation, orgasmic function, and sexual satisfaction are severely damaged.