Sexual Dysfunction in Patients with Overactive Bladder Syndrome Treated with Botulinum Toxin

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Sexual Medicine

Background:

• Overactive bladder (OAB) is a common condition causing urinary urgency, frequency, and nocturia.
• OAB significantly impacts patients' quality of life, including social, psychological, and sexual aspects.
• Current OAB treatments may affect sexual function, necessitating further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of intravesical onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox) injections on sexual dysfunction in patients with OAB.
• To assess changes in sexual quality of life using validated questionnaires in both female and male OAB patients.

Main Methods:

• Forty sexually active patients (30 women, 10 men) with idiopathic OAB were enrolled.
• Patients completed the Sexual Quality of Life questionnaire (SQoL-F for women, SQoL-M for men) pre-treatment and at 3 and 6 months post-treatment.
• Intravesical onabotulinumtoxinA injections were administered to all participants.

Main Results:

• All 40 patients completed the study and follow-up assessments.
• No statistically significant differences were observed in Sexual Quality of Life scores before treatment or at 3 and 6 months post-treatment.
• OnabotulinumtoxinA treatment for OAB did not demonstrate a significant effect on the measured quality of sexual life.

Conclusions:

• Intravesical onabotulinumtoxinA for OAB treatment does not appear to significantly impact sexual quality of life in women or men.
• The study highlights the need for further research with specific questionnaires to better evaluate sexual function in OAB patients, particularly men.