Sexual Dysfunction and Quality of Life

dr. Adi Santosa Maliki, SpAnd

Department of Biomedical Science, Division of Cellular Biology
Faculty of Medicine, University of Padjadjaran
Limijati Hospital Bandung
Melinda 2 Hospital/Morula IVF Melinda Bandung

Abstract

All of researchers and clinicians in the field of sexual medicine should have a proper
knowledge about the relations between sexual dysfunction and quality of life of the
patients and also their partners. This problem should be measured objectively.
Measurement of Quality of Life (QoL) has become increasingly important in
medicine including for sexual medicine over the past decades. A search in Pubmed
revealed an exponential growth of published articles containing the term "Quality of
Life OR QoL" since the 1990s, exceeding 20.000 articles per year since 2013. There
are many kinds of QOL questionnaire, such as Stark QOL. Another form of it, a
French quality of life questionnaire specific to erectile dysfunction (ED), called
‘QVS’ for ‘Questionnaire de Vie Sexuelle’, has been developed.
Randomised controlled trials as well as observational in clinical studies increasingly
include QoL measures, usually as a secondary endpoint e.g. [1– 3]. Several points
measured in the questionnaire representing different mood states, energy, social
contact, and various physical activities. Specifically for analyzing with the relations
with sexual problems, questionnaire includes the scales of sexual life, skills and
psychosocial wellbeing. Psychometric analyses demonstrated the reliability and the
validity of the QVS. The questionnaire was able to discriminate patients according to
the presence or severity of ED. Inclusion of QoL measures into studies is no longer
restricted to highly developed western countries, but now includes countries from all
over the world.

Keywords: erectile dysfunction (ED); quality of life (QOL); questionnaire, Stark

QOL, Questionnaire de Vie Sexuelle