The impact of motor, non-motor, and social aspects on the sexual health of men living with Parkinson’s disease

Abstract

Background: Sexual health (SH) is influenced by several biological, mental, and social factors which may be negatively impacted by PD. Despite its prevalence and relevance for quality of life, the factors that affect the SH in men with Parkinson's disease (MwPD) are still poorly understood, and research in this area is scarce. Aim: To investigate the impact of motor, non-motor, and social aspects on the SH in MwPD. Method: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 80 men (mean age 53.55+/-10.8) in stages 1-3 of disease progression according to Hoehn and Yahr classification (H&Y), who reported to have sexual activity. The following data were collected for each person (used tests/scales indicated within parentheses and defined in glossary): (1) demographic information and global cognitive capacity (T-MoCA); (2) non-motor aspects of daily life experiences (MDS-UPDRS, part I); (3) motor aspects of daily life experiences (MDS-UPDRS, part II); (4) fatigue (FSS); (5) self-esteem (RSES); (6) sleep disorder (PDSS); (7) couple relationship quality (DAS); (8) depressive signals (BDI); (8) short-term sexual health by International Index of Erectile Function (IIFE); and (9) long-term sexual health by Sexual Quotient-Male (SQ-M). Results: Our results suggest that the quality of marital relationships predicts short-term SH, motor disability level predicts erectile dysfunction, and depression predicts long-term SH in MwPD. Age, disease onset, disease duration, Levodopa dosage, and non-motor symptoms, excluding depression, were not correlated with SH. Conclusion: Our findings confirm that multidimensional factors can affect the SH of MwPD and emphasize that only a multi-professional team can offer proper care to improve SH in MwPD.