The effects of stress and coping upon the diagnostic intracavernous injection in men with erectile dysfunction

The diagnostic intracavernous injection (ICI) can be considered to be a stressful situation because it may exacerbate worries about the 'sexual' function and because it is an invasive procedure. The individual's primary appraisal (harm or pain caused by the injection, performance anxiety, fear of success as well as fear of failure) and his secondary appraisal (general coping style as well as the (in)effectiveness of this function) could influence the ICI. Therefore, coping style and anxiety levels were assessed in men with erectile dysfunction. These psychometric characteristics were correlated with the subsequent ICI with prostaglandin E1 (PGE1): the individual's anxiety level does not, but the coping style does explain a significant part of the variation in ICI response. Indeed, avoidance and palliative coping have a negative impact on the penile response following ICI. The present study suggests that coping style should be included in further psychophysiological studies of the ICI response.