A fascinating new study in the The Journal of Sexual Medicine has found that an effective erectile dysfunction treatment in men also significantly improved sexual function and sexual satisfaction in untreated women partners. The researchers say that the improvements in the women's sexual function were strongly related to the improvements in the men's erectile function. The message, they conclude, is that erectile dysfunction management should acknowledge that both members of the couple may be affected significantly by the treatment of erectile dysfunction. The research spanned six months and involved over 200 men with erectile dysfunction and their female partners. At the start and end of the study, the women completed sexual function questionnaires that included details of: desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction and pain. The couples were then divided into two groups. The men in one group received an erectile dysfunction drug (Levitra) and those in the other group received placebo.
At the start of the study, there was no difference between the women's sexual function scores in the two groups. But after 3 months and approximately 20 intercourse experiences, the women with untreated partners were observed to have lower sexual function scores in all areas. But most interesting were the women who were with men who received the erectile dysfunction treatment. They recorded significantly increased sexual function scores in all areas with the greatest increases noted in the orgasm and satisfaction areas. This was despite the fact that the women received no treatment themselves.
The researchers came to the conclusion that the physiological changes in sexual function of one member of the couple (the untreated woman) were found to be significantly linked to the physiological changes in sexual function of the other member of the couple (the treated man with erectile dysfunction).
"The most fascinating aspect of this study," said Dr. Irwin Goldstein, lead author of the study, "is that the women in the study were untreated and we observed that their physiology changed. Think of this for one minute. These are the first ever data that show physiologic changes in lubrication, orgasm and arousal in an individual who was not treated."
"Erectile dysfunction has never been only about a man, a pill, and a penis. It is often the case that a partner's sexual function suffers when a man experiences erectile dysfunction, and this research documents this fact and the welcome improvement of sexual function among women whose partners received effective treatment for their sexual problem," said study co-author Dr. William Fisher, of the University of Western Ontario.
Source: Journal of Sexual Medicine
