Users under the influence of sex-enhancing medications: prevalence, demographics, and sexual features

Abstract

Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is considered the prime sexual dysfunction attracting public attention among men all over the world. It ranges from partial decrease in penile rigidity to a complete erectile failure. To overcome this issue, sex-enhancing medications have become popular among men. Aim: The main objective of this work was to determine the prevalence, demographics, and sexual features of sex-enhancing medications users among Egyptians. Patients and Methods: A total of 1916 adult males were included in the present study. This cross-sectional study was conducted between August 2020 and July 2021. Participants were invited to fill a self-structured questionnaire through ‘Google Forms.’ The form included three main sections for sociodemographic data; sexual activity, and sex-enhancing medication history and brief sexual functioning inventory score analysis (BSFI). Results: Our finding showed that 48.4% of the subjects used sex-enhancement drugs. After completing the BSFI score variables, the results revealed that there was a highly statistically significant difference for the total BSFI score between sex-enhancement drug users and nonusers (23.4±5.7 and 21.02±4.5, respectively), with less than 0.001. Regarding the drugs used, the majority (67.9%) used sildenafil. Strengths and limitations: In the Egyptian society, talking about sex problems concerns most males and they get ashamed when talking about it. Sex-enhancement drugs are being circulated in Egypt in a nonmedical way. Conclusion: Urban residency, marriage, high education, job, low-to-middle socioeconomic status, smoking, drinking alcohol, and having chronic hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus were identified as features of sex-enhancing pharmaceutical users, with impairment of sexual function among them.