[Disease- and treatment related sexual disorders after radical prostatectomy. A biopsychosocial consideration]

Between 20% and 25% of the patients seeing a doctor have sexual problems. These have various causes: somatopsychological, psychosomatic, social-somatic and psychological factors can play an important role. For an effective therapy, a biopsychosocial understanding of the development of these diseases is necessary. Tumor-patients belong to a special group who frequently develop sexual problems. There are many patients with prostate cancer who, after a radical prostatectomy, suffer from erectile dysfunction. As sexuality always has a social dimension, there is no sexual dysfunction which can be seen as separate from partnership and social environment. Hence the couple is the patient, not the malfunctioning penis. Sexual rehabilitation's main aim is therefore not the repair the malfunctioning organ but rather the improvement of the quality of the sexual relationship beyond penetration.