Therapy Insight: sexual dysfunction in patients with chronic kidney disease

Sexual dysfunction is common in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Sexual dysfunction in these patients should be thought of as a multifactorial problem that is affected by a variety of physiological and psychological factors, as well as by comorbid conditions. Assessment of sexual difficulties in patients with CKD, therefore, involves a careful investigation of a variety of domains. The development of treatment strategies presents challenges as it is often difficult to determine the primary factor(s) responsible for the sexual dysfunction. It is important to think of the treatment in the overall context of the management of various medical problems presented by patients with CKD. It must be remembered that the design of therapeutic approaches for each patient is dependent on the systematic evaluation of the functional and psychosocial problems presented, and assessment of the cause(s) of sexual dysfunction.