A brief male sexual function inventory for urology

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Andrology
• Sexual Medicine

Background:

• Male sexual dysfunction is a prevalent concern affecting quality of life.
• Accurate and concise measurement tools are essential for clinical assessment and research.
• Existing instruments may be lengthy or lack specific psychometric validation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a brief questionnaire for assessing male sexual function.
• To create a reliable and valid instrument for use in clinical and research settings.

Main Methods:

• Initial item generation followed by cognitive testing and two validation studies.
• Men were recruited from sexual dysfunction clinics and general medicine practices.
• Psychometric properties including test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and construct validity were evaluated.

Main Results:

• The final Brief Sexual Function Inventory (BSFI) includes items on sexual drive, erection, ejaculation, perceived problems, and overall satisfaction.
• The BSFI demonstrated generally satisfactory psychometric performance.
• Self-assessment of ejaculate volume presented challenges; translations are available.

Conclusions:

• The Brief Sexual Function Inventory (BSFI) is a potentially valuable tool for assessing male sexual function.
• Its brevity and validated psychometric properties support its use in clinical practice and research.
• Further validation across diverse populations and languages is beneficial.