The Covid-19 pandemic has had destructive social, psychological, and economic effects worldwide. Various studies reported a decrease in male sexual potency during the covid-19 pandemic and an increase in patients with erectile dysfunction disorders. The present study seeks to determine the rate of sexual disorders in men with a recent history of COVID-19.
The present study adopted a prospective design. The study population included patients referred to the lung and urology clinic at Tadbir Clinic in Urmia City in the previous two months, from 2020 to 2021, with recent complaints of impotence or its exacerbation. The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire was administered to the patients to collect data regarding their sexual activity. Based on the scores obtained from the questionnaire, the patients were divided into three groups: those without disorders, those with mild to moderate disorders, and those with moderate to severe disorders.
The mean sexual score in patients was 15.68 ± 6.06. While 17.4% of the patients did not have erectile dysfunction, 82.6% had some degree of erectile dysfunction. The prevalence of erectile dysfunction among patients hospitalized in the ICU was significantly higher than among those hospitalized in the ward. Patients with a history of hospitalization had a lower average sex score than those without a history of hospitalization.
The rate of sexual dysfunction in patients with a history of hospitalization in the ward and ICU was higher. Moreover, patients who had been hospitalized in the ICU were more likely to develop sexual dysfunction than those who had been hospitalized in the ward. This study found that Covid-19 had a significant impact on male sexual health.
Keywords : Covid-19, erectile dysfunction, pandemic, impotence
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