Sexual dysfunction in women with alcohol dependence syndrome: A study from India

Red Wine and Sexual Function in Men: An Original Point of View

Red wine is a rich source of nutrients whose biological properties have inspired numerous scientific studies. Indeed, it has been widely reported that there is a correlation between the positive health effects of moderate consumption of red wine and its phenolic content, which, due to its antioxidant activity, has proved to be useful in the improvement of various diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, cognitive disorders, depression, and cancer. It is a common opinion that the antioxidant activity of red wine is to be ascribed to its entire content of polyphenols, which act synergistically and not as a single component. Furthermore, this health-promoting effect of red wine can also be linked to its ethanol content, which has shown a wide array of biological properties. Beyond this evidence, very little is known about a possible correlation between moderate consumption of red wine and male sexual function. This brief review aimed to evaluate the effects of moderate consumption of red wine on erectile function. To accomplish this, Pubmed and Google Scholar databases were searched to retrieve the most relevant studies on this topic. The evidence so far collected has shown that red wine, if consumed in moderation, can be potentially beneficial for patients with erectile dysfunction as well as can positively influence reproductive function through mechanisms that depend on the vasorelaxant properties of red wine and its antioxidant properties.

The risk of sexual dysfunction associated with alcohol consumption in women: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Alcohol abuse among women is a significant health problem. Consuming alcohol in high amounts causes decreased sexual stimulation, vaginal lubrication, dyspareunia, and difficulty reaching orgasm. Due to the different effects of alcohol consumption on sexual function, this study aimed to investigate the effect of alcohol consumption on sexual dysfunction in women.

METHODS

In this study, the researchers conducted a systematic search of several databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and ScienceDirect, as well as the Google Scholar search engine, to identify studies reporting the impact of alcohol consumption on female sexual dysfunction. The search was conducted up until July 2022. A total of 225 articles were searched in the databases, and an additional 10 relevant articles were identified through manual search. After removing 93 articles due to duplication, 90 articles were excluded based on the study's inclusion and exclusion criteria. During the merit evaluation phase, 26 articles were excluded through the full-text study based on the study's inclusion and exclusion criteria, while 26 articles were excluded due to their low quality. Ultimately, only 7 studies were deemed suitable for the final evaluation. The analysis was conducted using a random effects model, while the heterogeneity of the studies was assessed using the I² index. Data analysis was performed using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Version 2 software.

RESULTS

Based on the review of 7 studies involving a total sample size of 50,225 women and using the random effects method, the calculated odds ratio was 1.74 (95% CI: 1.006-3.04). This indicates that alcohol consumption increases the likelihood of sexual dysfunction in women by 74%. The Begg and Mazumdar rank correlation test, was used to analyze the distribution bias, but the results were not significant at the 0.1 significance level (p = 0.763).

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study demonstrate a significant correlation between alcohol consumption and an increased risk of sexual dysfunction in women. These results highlight the need for policymakers to prioritize this issue and raise awareness regarding the harmful effects of alcohol consumption on female sexual function and its impact on population health and reproduction.

A Scoping Review of the Prevalence and Correlates of Sexual Dysfunction in Adults With Substance use Disorders

BACKGROUND

Substance use may affect sexual functioning in both men and women. Comorbid sexual dysfunction adds to the clinical burden of substance use disorders (SUD).

AIMS

The broad aims were to identify research conduct, types of the available evidence, and research gaps in (i) estimating the incidence, prevalence, type, and severity of sexual dysfunction in adults with SUD; (ii) exploring correlates of sexual dysfunction in SUD.

METHODS

We conducted systematic searches on PubMed, Google Scholar, and Embase for studies published in the English language between August 1954 and November 2020. We included prospective and cross-sectional observational studies that had examined the prevalence or incidence of any sexual dysfunction in adults of either gender with substance use disorders. Review articles and those with an exclusive focus on tobacco use disorders were excluded. The review was registered in PROSPERO.

RESULTS

Our search identified 65 relevant articles, including five prospective studies. All the prospective studies and most of the cross-sectional studies (n = 40) were done among men and subjects with alcohol (n = 20) and opioid (n = 23) use disorders in clinical populations. Substance use and sexual dysfunction were assessed by a wide range of instruments. Prospective studies reported a prevalence of sexual dysfunction at 75% and 61% for alcohol and opioid use disorders, respectively. The prevalence of any sexual dysfunction in cross-sectional studies ranged between 15 and 100 percent. Erectile dysfunction was the most commonly studied and observed sexual dysfunction. Comorbidity and socioeconomic deprivation were consistently associated with a higher occurrence of sexual dysfunctions.

STRENGTHS

We did not limit our review by the type of substances and year of publication. We adhered to the standards of conducting and reporting scoping reviews; hence, our review results should be replicable, transparent, and reliable.

LIMITATIONS

The wide clinical and methodological heterogeneity precluded a systematic review.

CONCLUSION

Research gaps exist in women, non-clinical population, stimulants, and cannabis use disorders, and effect of treatment of SUD in sexual functioning. The quality of evidence is poor. Ghosh A, Kathiravan S, Sharma K, Mattoo SK. A Scoping Review of the Prevalence and Correlates of Sexual Dysfunction in Adults With Substance use Disorders. J Sex Med 2022;19:216-233.

A systematic review of Indian studies on sexual dysfunction in patients with substance use disorders

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Sexual dysfunction is often associated with substance use disorders. This study aimed to synthesize Indian literature on sexual dysfunction among patients with substance use disorders.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Electronic search engines were used to identify studies of the last 20 years that reported sexual dysfunction with different substance use disorders. Information was extracted using a predefined template. Quality appraisal of the included studies was carried out using Joanna Briggs Institute checklist.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven relevant papers were identified that pertained to 24 distinct studies. Most of them were in patients with alcohol dependence, and fewer were in patients with opioid dependence. The study designs were primarily single-group cross-sectional, though many case-control, cross-sectional studies were also identified. The proportion of participants with sexual dysfunction ranged from 22.2% to 76% for studies related to alcohol dependence and 40% to 90% for studies pertaining to opioid dependence. Varied types of sexual dysfunctions were identified, including poor satisfaction, lack of desire, premature ejaculation, and erectile dysfunction. Efforts to address bias and confounders were not reported in most studies.

CONCLUSION

Sexual dysfunction affects a substantial proportion of patients with substance use disorders. Clinicians can make an effort to ascertain and address sexual dysfunction in their routine clinical practice while dealing with patients with substance use disorders.

Prevalence and correlates of sexual dysfunction among patients with mental disorders in a tertiary hospital in Southwest Nigeria

Background

Sexual dysfunction is more common among patients with mental disorders compared to the general population. Despite this high occurrence, information regarding sexual dysfunction as well as their correlates in patients receiving care for mental disorders in developing countries is still sparse.

Aim

To determine the prevalence and correlates of sexual dysfunction among patients with mental disorders receiving care in a tertiary hospital in Southwest Nigeria.

Setting

This study was performed at the psychiatric outpatient clinic at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Southwest Nigeria.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenience sample of 238 adults aged 18–60 years. Socio-demographic and clinical information was obtained from all recruited patients. Sexual dysfunction was assessed using the International Index of Erectile Function questionnaire for men and the Female Sexual Function Index questionnaire for women. Questionnaires for measuring depression, medication adherence and autonomic medication side effects were also administered. Associations between sexual dysfunction and socio-demographic and clinical factors were explored.

Results

The prevalence rates of sexual dysfunction among male and female participants were 84.7% and 95.7%, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, employment status and autonomic side effects of psychotropic medications significantly predicted male sexual dysfunction, while religion and employment status were predictors of female sexual dysfunction.

Conclusion

Sexual dysfunction is very common among patients with mental disorders, with higher rates in female participants. There is a need for clinicians to consider routine screening for sexual dysfunction in psychiatric outpatients with a view of providing psychosocial interventions to improve patient’s quality of life.

Lifestyles and sexuality in men and women: the gender perspective in sexual medicine

Sexual health is strictly related with general health in both genders. In presence of a sexual dysfunction, the expert in sexual medicine aims to discover the specific weight of the physical and psychological factors can cause or con-cause the sexual problem. At the same time, a sexual dysfunction can represent a marker of the future development of a Non-communicable diseases (NCDss) as cardiovascular or metabolic diseases.In the evaluation phase, the sexual health specialist must focus on these aspects, focusing especially on the risk and protective factors that could impact on both male and female sexuality.This article presents a review of researches concerning healthy and unhealthy lifestyles and their contribute in the development of sexual quality of life in a gender-dependent manner.Among the unhealthy lifestyle, obesity contributes mostly to the development of sexual dysfunctions, due to its negative impact on cardiovascular and metabolic function. Tobacco smoking, alcohol - substance abuse and chronic stress lead to the development of sexual dysfunction in a med-long term.In order to guarantee a satisfying sexual quality of life, sexual health specialists have the responsibility to guide the patient through the adoption of healthy lifestyles, such as avoiding drugs, smoke and excessive alcohol, practicing a regular physical activity, following a balanced diet and use stress-management strategies, even before proposing both pharmaco- and/or psychotherapies.