Open AccessMale sexual functions and behaviors in the age of COVID-19: Evaluation of mid-term effects with online cross-sectional survey study
Author(s) -
Erhan Ateş,
Hakan Görkem Kazici,
Ahmet Emre Yildiz,
Saparali Sulaimanov,
Arif Kol,
Haluk Erol
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
archivio italiano di urologia andrologia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.429
H-Index - 23
eISSN - 2282-4197
pISSN - 1124-3562
DOI - 10.4081/aiua.2021.3.341
Subject(s) - pandemic , sexual intercourse , demography , premature ejaculation , medicine , young adult , covid-19 , psychology , cross sectional study , gerontology , disease , population , sociology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , psychoanalysis , pathology
Objective: To evaluate the long-term effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on sexual functions and behavior in men with heterosexual partners. Materials and methods: A total of 602 participants completed an online questionnaire, shared via social networks, between November 20 and December 20, 2020. Pre-pandemic sexual intercourse frequency, International Erectile Dysfunction Index (IIEF-15) score, intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT), premature ejaculation diagnostic tool (PEDT) score, and activities during sexual intercourse were compared to the ones during the pandemic. In addition, the effects of various variables on participants’ sexual functions were evaluated and analyzed according to age groups. Results: The mean number of weekly sexual intercourse during the pandemic was 1.7+1.7, which was significantly lower than in the pre-pandemic period (p 65 age group. Although kissing, oral and anal sex, and face-to-face sex positions decreased during the pandemic in all age groups, kissing and face-to-face sex positions remained the most preferred sexual behavior pattern (p = 0.002). There was no reduction in risky sexual behavior in the majority of the participants. Conclusions: At the end of one year with COVID-19, a decrease in erectile function and an increase in PE incidence were observed in men. Despite this, there was an increase in sexual desire and satisfaction. Although there were some changes in sexual behavior, the majority of pre-pandemic habits continued.