Sexual activity and function of adult men with spina bifida

Editorial Comment

“…Communication about sexual health with people with disabilities has been shown to be especially important in the clinical setting due to the greater need to receive sexual health education compared to able-bodied peers. 2 Yet, people living with SB report uncommonly having such discussions, despite a desire to do so. 3 Though several potential barriers to conversations exist, such as clinician discomfort, individuals with disabilities stress the importance of developing trusting therapeutic relationships and beginning conversations around sexual health early in life.…”

“…The literature is fairly sparse so far in this regard, but more studies are being published lately on this topic, including those cited by this study, 1 as well as other recent articles. 2,3…”

“…The literature is fairly sparse so far in this regard, but more studies are being published lately on this topic, including those cited by this study, 1 as well as other recent articles. 2,3 The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) is a widely available assessment tool for measuring male sexual function and is commonly used in the treatment of men with erection dysfunction. As the authors note, however, the IIEF may be inadequate for use in adult SB males due to their unique physical and psychosocial circumstances compared to the subjects on whom the index was developed.…”