Exhibition Hall (Room 517-AB) | Male - Sexual Dysfunction Time: - |
Exhibition Hall (Room 517-AB) | Female - Sexual Dysfunction Time: - |
Are sources of referral to sex therapy the same for women and men?
Abramov, Liora*,1, Greenstein, Alexander 2, Militscher, Idan 1, Matzkin, Haim 2, Lessing, Joseph 1, 1 Sex Therapy Clinic of “Lis” Maternity Hospital, Tel Aviv, Israel, Isreal2 Urology Department, Tel Aviv, Israel, Israel
ABSTRACT- Introduction and objectives: The effectiveness and safety of oral medication for treating erectile dysfunction (ED) has heightened public awareness of the issue of sexual dysfunction of both women and men. This study explored whether referral sources to sex therapy are similar for women and men. Methods: During 2004, 241 patients (155 women and 86 men) were evaluated at the sex therapy clinic of "Lis" Maternity Hospital, Tel Aviv Medical Center. Patients were questioned about referral sources and the nature of the presenting dysfunction. Results: Fifty one men (57%) and 79 (51%) women were self referrals (p>0.5). There was a statistically significant difference between the sources of referrals for the others: family physicians referred 22/35 men (63%) and 9/76 women (12%) (p<0.001), while most of the referred women (53/76, 70%) came to the clinic after consulting their gynecologists. The distribution of sexual dysfunction among the 86 men was: ED = 39, rapid ejaculation = 18, and loss of libido = 18. The most common problem among the 155 women involved difficulties in vaginal penetration (e.g., dyspareunia and vaginismus; n= 98), 29 had loss of libido, and 15 had orgasmic difficulties. Conclusion: Public awareness to sexual dysfunction seems to be important because the main source of referral for sex therapy was self referrals. Despite the greater public awareness of the available therapy for ED, there was no statistically significant difference in self referrals between men and women (57% of the men compared to 51% of the women). Family physician among men and gynecologist among women were the referral sources. Given that the main female dysfunction was associated with vaginal penetration (57%), it is reasonable that those women would first consult their gynecologist. We wish to raise the level of awareness among family physicians of the issues of female sexual dysfunction so that they can guide their female patients in seeking further evaluation and treatment.
Key words: Referral, Men, Women, Therapy