Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Changes in sexual inhibition and excitation during PDE5I therapy

Abstract

The aim of this longitudinal study was to assess possible changes in sexual inhibition and excitation (measured using the Sexual Inhibition and Sexual Excitation Scales (SIS/SES)) in men being treated with PDE5 inhibitors (PDE5I) for ED. Established PDE5I users diagnosed with psychogenic ED completed the SES/SIS questionnaire at recruitment and 3 months later. On the basis of International Index of Erectile Function scores at recruitment, subjects were divided into two groups – mildly affected (M) and mild-to-moderately affected (MM). SES scores were significantly lower, and SIS1 scores were significantly higher in Group MM at recruitment and at 3 months (P<0.001). In Group M, SES scores increased (P<0.005) and SIS1 (P<0.001) and SIS2 (P=0.01) scores decreased over the 3 months of the study. In Group MM, ongoing decreases in SES and increases in SIS1 scores were observed (P<0.001). The results of multiple linear regression showed that SIS/SES variables were of little value in predicting erectile function (EF) at recruitment, or changes in EF during the study period. The results for Group M showed that men whose EF scores increased were more likely to experience increased SIS2 and decreased SES scores.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Fusco F, Razzoli E, Imbimbo C, Rossi A, Verze P, Mirone V . A new era in the treatment of erectile dysfunction: chronic phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibition. BJU Int 2010; 105: 1634–1639.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Burnett AL . Nitric oxide regulation of penile erection: biology and therapeutic implications. J Androl 2002; 23: S20–S26.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Lim PH, Moorthy P, Benton KG . The clinical safety of Viagra. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2002; 962: 378–388.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Broderick GA, Donatucci CF, Hatzichristou D, Torres LO, Valiquette L, Zhao Y et al. Efficacy of tadalafil in men with erectile dysfunction naive to phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor therapy compared with prior responders to sildenafil citrate. J Sex Med 2006; 3: 668–675.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Bancroft J, Janssen E . The Dual Control Model of male sexual response: a theoretical approach to centrally mediated erectile dysfunction. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2000; 24: 571–579.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Bancroft J, Graham CA, Janssen E, Sanders SA . The Dual Control Model: current status and future directions. J Sex Res 2009; 46: 121–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Tomlinson J, Wright D . Impact of erectile dysfunction and its subsequent treatment with sildenafil: qualitative study. BMJ 2004; 328: 1037.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Rosen RC, Riley A, Wagner G, Osterloh IH, Kirkpatrick J, Mishra A . The international index of erectile function (IIEF): a multidimensional scale for assessment of erectile dysfunction. Urology 1997; 49: 822–830.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Janssen E, Vorst H, Finn P, Bancroft J . The Sexual Inhibition (SIS) and Sexual Excitation (SES) Scales: I. Measuring Sexual Inhibition and Excitation Proneness in Men. J Sex Res 2002; 39: 114–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Chivers ML, Seto MC, Lalumiere ML, Laan E, Grimbos T . Agreement of self-reported and genital measures of sexual arousal in men and women: a meta-analysis. Arch Sex Behav 2010; 39: 5–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Janssen E . Sexual arousal in men: a review and conceptual analysis. Horm Behav 2011; 59: 708–716.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Bancroft J, Herbenick D, Barnes T, Hallam-Jones R, Wylie K, Janssen E et al. The relevance of the Dual Control Model to male sexual dysfunction: The Kinsey Institute/BASRT Collaborative Project. Sex Relation Ther 2005; 20: 13–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Janssen E, Vorst H, Finn P, Bancroft J . The Sexual Inhibition (SIS) and Sexual Excitation (SES) Scales: II. Predicting psychophysiological response patterns. J Sex Res 2002; 39: 127–132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. McCabe M, Matic H . Severity of ED: relationship to treatment-seeking and satisfaction with treatment using PDE5 inhibitors. J Sex Med 2007; 4: 145–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Stroberg P, Kaminetsky JC, Park NC, Goldfischer ER, Creanga DL, Stecher VJ . Hardness, function, emotional well-being, satisfaction and the overall sexual experience in men using 100-mg fixed-dose or flexible-dose sildenafil citrate. Int J Impot Res 2010; 22: 284–289.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. McCabe MP, Conaglen H, Conaglen J, O'Connor E . Motivations for seeking treatment for ED: the woman's perspective. Int J Impot Res 2010; 22: 152–158.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Fisher WA, Eardley I, McCabe M, Sand M . Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a shared sexual concern of couples II: association of female partner characteristics with male partner ED treatment seeking and phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor utilization. J Sex Med 2009; 6: 3111–3124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Melnik T, Soares B, Nasello AG . Psychosocial interventions for erectile dysfunction. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007 Issue 3. Art. No.: CD004825; doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004825.pub2http://mrw.interscience.wiley.com/cochrane/clsysrev/articles/CD004825/frame.html.

  19. Jiann BP, Su CC, Tsai JY . Is female sexual function related to the male partners' erectile function? J Sex Med 2013; 10: 420–429.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Cayan S, Bozlu M, Canpolat B, Akbay E . The assessment of sexual functions in women with male partners complaining of erectile dysfunction: does treatment of male sexual dysfunction improve female partner's sexual functions? J Sex Marital Ther 2004; 30: 333–341.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Goldstein I, Fisher WA, Sand M, Rosen RC, Mollen M, Brock G et al. Women's sexual function improves when partners are administered vardenafil for erectile dysfunction: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Sex Med 2005; 2: 819–832.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Heiman JR, Talley DR, Bailen JL, Oskin TA, Rosenberg SJ, Pace CR et al. Sexual function and satisfaction in heterosexual couples when men are administered sildenafil citrate (Viagra) for erectile dysfunction: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Brit J Obstet Gynaec 2007; 114: 437–447.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Sookdeb S . An investigation of factors that determine when men with erectile disorder present for treatment. Nurse Res 2007; 14: 76–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Gruenwald I, Leiba R, Vardi Y . Effect of sildenafil on middle-aged sexually active males with no erectile complaints: a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind study. Eur Urol 2009; 55: 969–976.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The assistance of Dr E Janssen and the suggestions of the reviewers are gratefully acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to P K Knight.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

This research received no funding. Impotence Australia received funding for projects during 2010 from Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Australia and Eli-Lilly Pharmaceuticals Australia unrelated to this study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Louizos, C., McCann, B. & Knight, P. Changes in sexual inhibition and excitation during PDE5I therapy. Int J Impot Res 26, 146–150 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijir.2013.54

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijir.2013.54

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links