Erectile Dysfunction in Men Presenting at a Tertiary Hospital in South East Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Sexual health is an integral part of general health which is often neglected. Sexual dysfunction is a common problem that affects the quality of life of both patients and their sexual partner(s). Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the most prevalent sexual dysfunctions in men. Objective. To determine the prevalence of erectile dysfunction and the associated factors among adult males attending the general outpatient at Federal Medical Center(FMC) Umuahia, South East Nigeria. Methodology. This was a cross-sectional study involving 421 respondents recruited by systematic random sampling from the General Outpatient Clinic, FMC Umuahia using the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) scale. Results. The mean age of respondents was 35.2 ± 12.0 years. Among the respondents, 219(52%) had ED while a greater proportion of those who had ED had mild ED 109 (49.8%). The prevalence of ED increased in age from 41.9% in respondents < 40years to 70.2% in respondents ≥ 40 years (p < 0.05). The other factors associated with ED on bivariate analysis include tobacco use (p < 0.05), alcohol intake (p < 0.05), diabetes mellitus, hypertension, use of anti hypertensive drugs, use of oral hypoglycemic drugs. Conclusion. Erectile dysfunction is a common problem among the males in our study population. About five out of every ten adult men in this study have Erectile dysfunction (ED).