The prevalence and severity of sexual dysfunction in male ibd patients: an observational single-center study

Objectives Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are lifelong disabling disorders with a significant impact on the quality of life (QoL). Previous studies reported that sexual dysfunction (SD) could affect 25-45% of male IBD patients, compared to 5-15% in the general population of the same age. However, this topic has not attracted widespread attention, and thus research studies are scarce. Our study aims to determine prevalence and severity of SD in a cohort of male IBD patients and to identify the associated risk factors. Methods This is an observational single-center study. From July 2021 to June 2022, male IBD patients were invited to fill the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-15) questionnaire during scheduled visits. Clinical data, including treatment history, disease activity and previous surgery, were collected. Results 61 patients, 33 with CD and 28 UC, were enrolled. Median age was 33.8 years (range, 19.7–63.7); median body mass index (BMI) was 26.5 kg/m2 (range, 17.6–31.9). Almost half of the subjects were active or former smokers (49.1%). 81.9% of patients were receiving biological therapies and 42.6% had an history of IBD-related surgery. The median total IIEF score was 64 (range, 18-75). 25.4% of patients reported erectile dysfunction (ED), according to EF subscore (EF-S). At univariate analysis age (p=0.001), calprotectin levels (p<0.05) and biological therapy (p<0.05) were significantly associated with total IIEF score; age (p=0.003) and calprotectin levels (p<0.05) significantly correlated with EF-S. At multivariate analysis, age and calprotectin levels maintained significant association with both total IIEF score (p=0.003 and p= 0.002, respectively) and EF-S (p=0.001 and p=0.01, respectively). Conclusions A quarter of IBD patients reported ED in our study, a remarkably higher proportion compared to healthy subjects of the same age. Therefore, gastroenterologist should investigate sexual function in IBD patients and, if indicated, promptly refer them for andrological evaluation ito improve their QoL. Conflicts of Interest Authors report no conflicts of interest.