Communication about erectile dysfunction among men with ED, partners of men with ED, and physicians : the Strike Up a Conversation study (Part II) - 14/08/11

Doi : 10.1016/j.jmhg.2005.06.004

William A. Fisher, Ph.D ^a,⁎ , Siegfried Meryn, MD ^b, Michael Sand, RN MPH ^c
the Strike Up a Conversation Study Team^{^*}
Listed at the end of the text.
^a Department of Psychology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
^b Department of Medicine, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
^c Bayer HealthCare, West Haven, Connecticut, USA

^*Corresponding author.

Abstract

Background:

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common, consequential, and clinically neglected sexual problem. The current research is designed to study the experience of communication about ED among men with ED, partners of men with ED, and physicians who treat ED.

Methods:

Qualitative research with 10 men with ED, 10 female partners of men with ED, and 15 physicians who treat men with ED, was used to formulate questions pursued in quantitative research with larger samples of men with ED (n=449), partners of men with ED (n=429), and physicians who treat men with ED (n=389), concerning communication about ED among men with this condition, partners, and physicians.

Results:

Men with ED and partners of men with ED reported strikingly similar perceptions of ED, positive responses to communicating about ED, and negative responses to failing to communicate about ED. Results concerning communication about ED with physicians, physician perspectives on communication about ED, preferred attributes of oral ED therapy, and correlates of phosphodiesterase (PDE5) inhibitor therapy use and non-use, are reported in Part II of this publication.

Conclusions:

These findings can be used to guide clinical counselling and public health education to facilitate communication about ED and treatment seeking for this condition where appropriate.

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Keywords : Erectile Dysfunction, Communication