Effective oral treatment of erectile dysfunction can improve relationships

Mar 1 2006

The inability to perform sexually can have a significant negative psychosocial impact on a man's overall health including depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

New research shows that safe and effective oral treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) can improve relationships, sexual confidence, and self-esteem in men with ED.

In the March issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine, researchers have published the first investigation examining both equivalence testing and traditional statistical testing for men with ED regarding changes in sexual function, sexual self-confidence, self-esteem, and overall relationship satisfaction. Through administration both before and after taking sildenafil (Viagra) of the Self-Esteem And Relationship (SEAR) questionnaire, a multi-dimensional, psychometrically validated questionnaire, the research concluded that men with ED using sildenafil revealed normalization of their relationships, confidence, and self-esteem when compared to men without ED.

The article entitled: "Comparison Between Sildenafil-Treated Subjects with Erectile Dysfunction and Control Subjects on the Self-Esteem And Relationship Questionnaire" published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, involved 93 men with ED in stable relationships, using sildenafil as needed for 10 weeks. These patients were compared with a control group of 94 male volunteers with no history of ED also in a stable relationships, a novel study design.

To enhance interpretation and meaning of the health-related quality of life scores, SEAR data were compared between subjects with ED and control men without ED. Average score values between the ED group and the no-ED control group were evaluated in terms of not only statistical testing but also equivalence testing. The purpose of a traditional statistical test is to determine whether mean scores of two groups differ beyond chance, whereas the purpose of equivalence testing is to determine whether mean scores of two groups are sufficiently near each other to be considered equivalent.

The researchers concluded that mean SEAR scores between subjects with ED at baseline and control subjects without ED were statistically different from zero and not statistically equivalent. Conversely, mean Self-Esteem And Relationship questionnaire scores between ED subjects after treatment and control subjects were statistically equivalent and not statistically different from zero.

Dr. Joseph C. Cappelleri, a director and statistical scientist in Global Research and Development at Pfizer Inc in Groton, CT, and lead author of the paper, stated that "this research indicates that men with erectile dysfunction before treatment with sildenafil have sexual relationship satisfaction, confidence, self-esteem, and overall relationship satisfaction that are much less than men with normal erectile function. This investigation is the first to report that men with erectile dysfunction who are later given treatment with sildenafil are equivalent to men with normal erectile function in terms of sexual relationship satisfaction, confidence, self-esteem, and overall relationship satisfaction. Hence, the data suggest that sildenafil is associated with normalization of relationship satisfaction, confidence, and self-esteem."

Dr. Stan Althof, Professor of Psychology at Case School of Medicine, Executive Director of the Center for Marital and Sexual Health of South Florida, and co-author of the manuscript commented, "This study adds to the growing body of literature regarding the importance of the psychosocial consequences of ED and the positive impact that effective treatment has on these salient issues. The restoration of sexual self-confidence is arguably the most important psychological variable in the successful treatment of ED."

"Although this is probably a class effect, the data are very important because there has recently been a suggestion that PDE5 inhibitors are life-style drugs that offer society little benefit" said Dr. Irwin Goldstein, Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Sexual Medicine. "In fact, PDE5 inhibitors are life-quality medications that result not only in physical improvement but also in psychological improvement in men's lives."