title: Adverse impact of sexual dysfunction in chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the prevalence, characteristics, and impact of sexual dysfunction in our primary care referral population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants seeking treatment for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) were recruited from general urology clinics. The subjects completed the National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index, International Index of Erectile Function-5, and selected questions from the University of Washington Symptom Score. Additional information on demographics and medical and treatment history were also obtained. Sexual dysfunction was defined as self-reported erectile dysfunction (ED) or ejaculatory difficulty, or both.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 296 participants with CP/CPPS, 214 (72.3%) reported sexual dysfunction. The National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index total score averaged 22.5 +/- 6.9 for participants with sexual dysfunction compared with 20.4 +/- 7.8 for participants who did not report sexual dysfunction (P = 0.03). Of the 214 participants with sexual dysfunction, 54 (25.0%) complained of ED only, 71 (33.4%) complained of ejaculatory difficulties only, and 89 (41.6%) complained of both ED and ejaculatory difficulties. Men reporting both ED and ejaculatory difficulty reported worse CP/CPPS symptoms (analysis of variance, P = 0.042) and worse quality of life (analysis of variance, P = 0.006) than men without sexual dysfunction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sexual dysfunction was reported by almost three quarters of patients with CP/CPPS. Patients with CP/CPPS and sexual dysfunction experienced substantially worse symptoms, particularly worse quality of life, than other patients with CP/CPPS. Sexual dysfunction merits consideration as an important aspect of CP/CPPS and a potential outcome measure.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Science Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Shaun Wen Huey
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Men Long
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Liong
authors.forename: Kah Hay
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Yuen
authors.forename: Wing Seng
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Leong
authors.forename: Phaik Yeong
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Cheah
authors.forename: Nurzalina Abdul Karim
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: John N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Krieger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004542:Ejaculation; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011472:Prostatitis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013577:Syndrome