Erectile Dysfunction among Yemenis: Does Chewing Khat Play a Role?

Khat, a type of plant that grows in Yemen and some African countries like Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, is considered to be addictive and contains some stimulating substances that may affect different body organs. This study was conducted to identify the causes of erectile dysfunction (ED) and to investigate the effect of chewing Khat on this disease in Yemenis.

A total of 236 patients who were treated at University of Science and Technology Hospital and complained of ED were examined with penile Doppler ultrasonography (US). Biodata and health data were collected from the patients' records and via mobile interviews.

The causes of ED were psychological causes (72%), venous leakage (19%) and arterial disease (9%). Psychological ED was most common in 15-29-year-olds, while pathological ED increased with increasing age (p=0.041). Heart diseases and diabetes showed a significant association with pathological ED (p<0.05). Although 81% of the ED patients in this study chewed Khat, there was no significant association between chewing Khat and either pathological or psychological ED (p>0.05).

Psychological problems are the main causes of ED among Yemenis especially in the younger age group. It is too early to exclude Khat as a factor contributing to this health problem, and this topic warrants further case-control studies with a larger sample size.