Journey into the realm of requests for help presented to sexual medicine specialists: introducing male sexual distress.
BACKGROUND
The recent availability of noninvasive pharmacological remedies for male sexual function triggered an exponential increase in the number of men requesting help in the sexuality area.


OBJECTIVE
The Italian Society of Andrology explored requests for help, not included in formerly established clinical categories of sexual medicine.


METHODS
A central board of 67 andrologists identified new areas of requests for help, instrumental for a web-based questionnaire, forwarded to 912 members of the Italian Society of Andrology. Results were submitted to an independent consensus development panel.


METHODS
A questionnaire response rate of 30.8% was considered acceptable according to standard response rates of medical specialist samples.


RESULTS
The Central Board interaction identified two new domains of requests for help: sexual distress and unconventional requests for pro-erectile medications. Web-based questionnaire results suggested that such domains account for 29% and 9% respectively of all requests for help already presented by male patients at sexual medicine clinics. The Independent Consensus Development Panel issued a final consensus document; herewith, the statement defining male sexual distress: A non-transitory condition and/or feeling of inadequacy such as to impair "sexual health" (WHO working definition). Inadequacy can originate both from physiological modifications of male sexual functions, and from diseases, dysfunctions, dysfunctional symptoms and dysmorphisms, both of andrological and non-andrological origin, which do not relate to "erectile dysfunction" (NIH Consensus Development Panel definition), but that might also induce erectile dysfunction. Sexual Distress can lead to a request for help which needs to be acknowledged.


CONCLUSIONS
The Italian Society of Andrology identified two new areas of requests for help concerning male sexual issues: sexual distress and unconventional requests for pro-erectile medications. These domains, which do not represent new diseases, nonetheless induce the sufferers to seek help and, accordingly, need to be acknowledged.
Pescatori
Edoardo S
ES
Andrology Service, Hesperia Hospital, Modena, Italy;. Electronic address: pescatoriedoardo@libero.it.
Giammusso
Bruno
B
Urology Department, University of Catania, Italy.
Piubello
Giorgio
G
Andrology Service, Department of Internal Medicine "D," University of Verona, Italy.
Gentile
Vincenzo
V
Urology Department, La Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
Farina
Furio Pirozzi
FP
Urology Department, University of Sassari, Italy.
D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012731:Sex Counseling / Q000458:organization & administration; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012955:Societies, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires