Study shows: majority of alcohol-dependent men suffer from sexual dysfunction

A study of alcohol-dependent men in India found that 67% of them also suffered from sexual dysfunction. Loss or lack of sexual desire was the most common problem, followed by erectile dysfunction. The study was published in the Journal of Psychosexual Health.

Alcohol dependence syndrome, also known as alcohol use disorder, is a condition characterized by the inability to control or stop alcohol use despite negative consequences. Individuals with alcohol use disorder experience strong cravings for alcohol, increased tolerance, and withdrawal symptoms when they do not drink. This disorder can cause significant impairment in daily life, including difficulties in personal relationships, work, and health. Chronic alcohol use can lead to serious physical health problems, such as liver disease, cardiovascular problems, and neurological damage.

Alcohol consumption has a complex relationship with sexual function. Some studies suggest that alcohol consumption may increase the desire for sexual activity. However, long-term consumption of large amounts of alcohol is associated with sexual dysfunction, as many studies show. Men with sexual dysfunction are often found to have chronic alcohol dependence.

Study author Parth A. Soni and colleagues wanted to investigate how common sexual dysfunction is in male patients with alcohol dependence syndrome. They were also interested in the effect of the severity of alcohol dependence on the severity of sexual dysfunction. These authors point out that studies have found that between 40% and 95% of alcohol-dependent men suffer from sexual dysfunction, but very few such studies have been conducted on the Indian population.

Their study involved 170 male patients with alcohol dependence who were recruited from the psychiatric outpatient clinic of KJ Somaiya Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Sion, Mumbai. Their average age was 36 years. About 50% of the patients had only primary school education and 35% had secondary school education. Over 85% were employed and all patients were married.

These individuals completed tests on their alcohol dependence (Alcohol Dependence Scale) and their sexual functioning (Arizona Sexual Experience Scale and Sexual Dysfunction Checklist).

The results showed that 67% of the patients had suffered from alcohol dependence for 6 to 10 years and 21% for more than 10 years. In addition, 67% of the participating patients suffered from sexual dysfunction. Among the sexual dysfunctions, loss or absence of sexual desire was the most common (45.88%), closely followed by erectile dysfunction, which was reported by about 40% of the participants. The prevalence of premature ejaculation was 31.76%.

In addition, 35% of participants were dissatisfied with the frequency of their sexual intercourse, 23% with their own sexual function, and 10% with their sexual relationship with their partners. The severity of alcohol dependence was not related to the type of sexual dysfunction.

“Alcohol consumption was found to be associated with sexual dysfunction, and lack of sexual desire was the most common sexual dysfunction,” the study authors concluded.

The study confirms the association between alcohol dependence and sexual functioning using a sample of Indian men treated for alcohol dependence in a psychiatric hospital. However, it is important to note that many individuals with alcohol dependence do not receive clinical treatment and that the reports on sexual functioning were self-reported. This leaves much room for biased reporting that may affect the results.

The paper “Study of sexual dysfunction in male patients with alcohol dependence syndrome” was authored by Parth A. Soni, Bindoo S. Jadhav and Rishab Verma.