Patients responding to phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor therapy: what do their sexual partners know?

Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors are an efficacious therapy in men with erectile dysfunction (ED). There are only a few studies that also focus on the participating couples during PDE5 inhibitor therapy.

To determine to what extent patients personally informed their sexual partners about their ongoing PDE5 inhibitor therapy.

Likelihood of informing the female partner by the patient himself about the use of PDE5 inhibitors.

A total of 216 men (mean age 62.3 years) with ED were successfully treated with PDE5 inhibitors in three independent centers. After an interval of at least 3 months of successful ED therapy, all patients were asked by questionnaire whether their sexual partners were informed of their PDE5 inhibitor therapy.

Eighty-two percent of the patients were exclusively involved in one stable sexual relationship, 9.7% of the men admitted to having changing sexual partners, and 6% did not give any information at all about their sexual partners. Twenty percent of the men had a severe ED (International Index of Erectile Function [IIEF-5] <11). Forty-nine percent showed a moderate ED (IIEF-5 11-16) and 31% suffered a mild ED (IIEF-5 >16). PDE5 inhibitor medication was used 1.2 times/month by men with a severe ED, 2.1 times/month by patients with a moderate ED, and 2.9 times/month by men with a mild ED. Forty-one (93%) of the 44 patients with a severe ED informed their sexual partners that they were taking PDE5 inhibitors. In the patient group with moderate ED, 49 (47%) of 105 patients and only 14 (21%) of 67 of the patients with mild ED shared this information with their partners.

Less than 40% of the patients suffering a moderate or mild ED using PDE5 inhibitors shared this information with their partners. It seems that patients find ED so disturbing that many patients do not inform their partners of PDE5 inhibitor use.