Male genital sensation after spinal cord injury: a review

Abstract

Genital sensation (GS) is an essential component of male sexual function. Genital sensory disturbance (GSD) caused by spinal cord injury (SCI) has a severe impact on the patients' sexual function but has garnered little research focus. Under normal conditions, GS encompasses the erection, ejaculation, sexual arousal, and orgasm courses associated with physiological and psychological responses in male sexual activity. However, in SCI patients, the deficiency of GS makes the tactile stimulation of the penis unable to cause sexual arousal, disturbs the normal processes of erection and ejaculation, and decreases sexual desire and satisfaction. To provide an overview of the contemporary conception and management of male GS after SCI, we review the innervation and sexual function of male GS in this article, discuss the effects of GSD following SCI, and summarize the current diagnosis and treatment of GSD in male SCI patients.

Male Sexual Dysfunction and Infertility in Spinal Cord Injury Patients: State-of-the-Art and Future Perspectives

“…Among those with SCI, there are young adult males in their reproductive years [ 6 ]. In this population, after SCI, several sexual consequences can occur, such as (ED and ejaculatory dysfunction), fertility problems (such as impaired spermatogenesis, abnormalities in sperm viability, motility, and morphology), and systemic disorders, such as genitourinary infection and endocrine imbalances [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. ED represents the major concern in both complete and incomplete SCI patients, especially when associated with chronic disease [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ].…”