Sexual medicine reviews最新文献

{"title":"The ethical and economic aspects of sexual medicine: recommendations from the Fifth International Consultation on Sexual Medicine (ICSM 2024).","authors":"Sidney Glina, Amy Pearlman, Ira Sharlip, Pedro Caetano Edler Zandoná, Hussein Ghanem, Jasmine Abdulcadir, Crista Johnson-Agbakwu, Natalie Sorial, Hong-Chiang Chang, Joachim Osur, Kunjappan Promodu, Daniela Witmann","doi":"10.1093/sxmrev/qeaf028","DOIUrl":"10.1093/sxmrev/qeaf028","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>In recent years, the field of sexual medicine has undergone major transformations brought about by the internet and concern with genital performance and aesthetics. On the other hand, economic transformations have increased barriers to better care and sexual education.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Given the emerging knowledge of this topic, we conducted a narrative review of the extant literature through wide searches in PubMed and Google and on global websites relevant to this topic, such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations, and others. The content of this paper was reviewed by all the authors, discussed where disagreements occurred, or additional perspectives were needed, and further literature was incorporated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The Internet has made valuable contributions to the dissemination of sexual health education, but it has also promoted non-evidence-based information that can contribute to sexual dysfunctions and has contributed to sexual exploitation and cyberbullying. Of concern is the rise of an Internet-based industry that promotes and dispenses dietary supplements. Liberal, unfettered marketing has brought the dissemination of products that, at best, do not deliver the desired result, and at worst, are adulterated and become a threat to individual and public health. In the context of false advertising, men's anxiety about penis size has been exploited. Advertising of techniques that would produce penis enlargement preys on these anxieties without evidence to support efficacy of these techniques. Economic barriers have impeded men's ability to access sexual healthcare. The lack of coverage by health plans, the lack of trained professionals, and the costs of exams and treatments impede access to sexual healthcare in many parts of the world.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>We recommend that doctors inform patients of the risks of non-evidence-based practices and that the International Society of Sexual Medicine produce evidence-based information accessible to the general public and seek to work toward finding solutions to existing economic barriers.</p>","PeriodicalId":21813,"journal":{"name":"Sexual medicine reviews","volume":" ","pages":"471-482"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144769074","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the intersection of female sexology and visual arts.","authors":"Ghada Farouk Mohammed","doi":"10.1093/sxmrev/qeaf047","DOIUrl":"10.1093/sxmrev/qeaf047","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Female sexology is the scientific and scholarly study of human sexuality a multidisciplinary research area influenced by visual arts which, comprise all non-textual media, prioritizing moving images (film and video), photography, and the installation art context.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The review aims to improve doctors' understanding of intersection of female sexology and visual arts. Thereby providing a framework for analyzing representations of female sexuality in art, by highlighting key themes and debates.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A comprehensive search approach was utilized to get research papers from the following databases: PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus, and Web of Science. Google Scholar was also manually searched. The search results were imported into Rayyan reference management and evaluated against the established inclusion criteria. The articles' quality was appraised using the appropriate JBI checklist (ie, in accordance with the study design), and the evidence was graded using the JBI grades of recommendation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Through scholarly writings, a contemporary artistic research project, and finished visual artworks, the goal is to consider how the visual arts and visual art practices can respond to or engage with female sexology. Academic perspective offers up thoughts on definitions, positions, and considerations within this interdisciplinary field. Artistic perspective opens up space for wondering, questioning, and reflecting on other potential considerations, protocols, and positions within this field. Finally, finished artworks offer one potential approach to the visual art practice's engagement with female sexology. Through scholarly writings, artistic research process, and finished visual artworks, the intersection of female sexology and visual arts has begun to be explored.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>visual arts has an imperative role in female sexology. The study suggests an interdisciplinary approach to managing female sexology, integrating visual arts.</p>","PeriodicalId":21813,"journal":{"name":"Sexual medicine reviews","volume":" ","pages":"706-718"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144837752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the link between muscle quality and erectile dysfunction: assessing the impact of mass and strength.","authors":"Michelle Duan, Beatriz Hernandez, Shane Kronstedt, John Donato, Gal Saffati, Niki Parikh, Mohit Khera, Gabrielle Lyon","doi":"10.1093/sxmrev/qeaf033","DOIUrl":"10.1093/sxmrev/qeaf033","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Sexual dysfunction is a prevalent issue affecting quality of life. Skeletal muscle mass and strength are emerging biomarkers for overall health. Considered in tandem, sexual function and muscle mass have significant implications for well-being.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>We aim to explore the relationship between skeletal muscle parameters and sexual function via mechanisms and discuss the role of testosterone.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>PubMed literature searches were conducted using MeSH: \"Muscle, Skeletal,\" \"Sexual Dysfunctions, Physiological,\" and \"Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological.\" Keywords included \"sarcopenia,\" \"muscle mass,\" \"muscle strength,\" \"hand strength,\" \"resistance training,\" \"skeletal muscle,\" \"weight lifting,\" \"sexual function,\" \"sexual dysfunction,\" \"erectile function,\" \"erectile dysfunction,\" and \"male sexual function.\"</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This yielded 355 results and 32 were included. Skeletal muscle mass and strength contribute independently to healthy sexual function through metabolic and endothelial mechanisms, particularly in aging adults and men with comorbidities like sarcopenia, diabetes, and obesity. Cross-sectional studies using muscle volume, hand-grip strength (HGS), and bioelectrical impedance assessment show correlations between muscle parameters and erectile function, sexual desire, and overall sexual satisfaction. In older men, HGS correlates with decreased erectile dysfunction risk (OR: 0.86 per 5 kg, 95% CI 0.78-0.96). Despite the established influence of testosterone on muscle and endothelial health, an independent correlation between HGS and International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) score persists after adjustment for serum testosterone (β = .169, P = .037) showing the strength of this relationship independent of testosterone.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>There is a positive correlation between erectile function and muscle health. Maintaining skeletal muscle with nutrition and physical activity improves erectile and overall health outcomes. Therapies that target sexual function and muscle health simultaneously (eg, testosterone and L-carnitine) may further benefit sexual function. Future studies are warranted to strengthen and elucidate this relationship and to follow the longitudinal outcomes of these therapies on sexual health.</p>","PeriodicalId":21813,"journal":{"name":"Sexual medicine reviews","volume":" ","pages":"643-651"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144668540","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The socio-cultural aspects of sexual medicine: recommendations from the Fifth International Consultation on Sexual Medicine (ICSM 2024).","authors":"Daniela Wittmann, Kunjappan Promodu, Joachim Osur, Jasmine Abdulcadir, Crista Johnson-Agbakwu, Natalie Sorial, Hussein Ghanem, Ira Sharlip, Pedro Caetano Edler Zandoná, Amy Pearlman, Hong-Chiang Chang, Sidney Glina","doi":"10.1093/sxmrev/qeaf050","DOIUrl":"10.1093/sxmrev/qeaf050","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The intersection of culture, history, religion, traditions, laws, political trends, and evolving attitudes affects sexual expression and acceptance or rejection of sexual practices. Clinicians and clinical care are affected by these factors as well, although clinicians are not always aware of the way in which their training, their own experiences and attitudes influence the way in which they approach patients. In this paper, we contextualize and then describe 2 areas of sexual practices and 1 area of sexual difficulty that sexual medicine clinicians encounter in their practice, namely, the practice of female genital mutilation/cutting, penile circumcision, and the experience of unconsummated marriages.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Given the emerging knowledge of the socio-cultural aspects of sexual medicine, we conducted a narrative review of the extant literature through wide searches in PubMed, Google, and on global websites relevant to this topic, such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations, and others. The content of this paper was reviewed by all the authors, discussed where disagreements occurred, or additional perspectives were needed, and further literature was incorporated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We describe known practices of female genital cutting/mutilation and penile circumcision, their perceived benefits, and harms, but also with a view to the importance of patient empowerment and respect for self-determination. We discuss unconsummated marriages as the result of often culturally determined insufficient sex education and guidance, as well as clinical resources.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>We recommend that clinicians approach patients with both curiosity and cultural humility and that the International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) adopt a strong ethical perspective as a part of the ongoing discourse on these practices and experiences.</p>","PeriodicalId":21813,"journal":{"name":"Sexual medicine reviews","volume":" ","pages":"574-588"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144969551","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The impact of social media on female genital self-image.","authors":"Ghada Farouk Mohammed","doi":"10.1093/sxmrev/qeaf031","DOIUrl":"10.1093/sxmrev/qeaf031","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>By offering a historical analysis that moves from the early modern period to the present, this essay examines the various factors that have shaped female genital self-image (FGSI) and sexual attitudes. Four main categories are identified as being particularly influential.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The review aims to improve doctors' understanding of the impact of social media on FGSI thereby promoting a comprehensive and holistic approach.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A comprehensive search technique was used to obtain research papers from the following databases: PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus, and Web of Science. Google Scholar was also manually searched. The search results were imported into Rayyan reference management and assessed using the established inclusion criteria. The quality of the articles was assessed using the appropriate JBI checklist (ie, according to the study design), and the JBI grades of recommendation were used to grade the evidence.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>First, the review considers anatomical texts to determine how cultural beliefs about the female capacity for sexual enjoyment influenced perceptions of the female genitals as early as the 17th century. Next, the review engages with medical discourses-ranging from the scientific to the social-to establish 19th-century attitudes toward the connection between female genital anatomy and psychological state. Third, the review explores the application of psychoanalytic theory to uncover the internalization of societal norms in the construction of a similarly negative genital self-image in the early- to mid-20th century. Fourth, the review provides insights from the sexual liberation movement, with a particular focus on the importance of communication in the enhancement of female self-image.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In conclusion, there is an association between increased time spent on social media platforms and heightened FGSI, alongside its interacting effect on multiple areas of self-perception and functioning in women.</p>","PeriodicalId":21813,"journal":{"name":"Sexual medicine reviews","volume":" ","pages":"698-705"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144660268","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advances in the clinical applications and research progress of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound for erectile dysfunction: a narrative review.","authors":"Zitaiyu Li, Zihao Zhou, Huirong Chen, Ming Xiao, Yinghao Yin, Liangyu Zhao, Yingbo Dai, Yuxin Tang","doi":"10.1093/sxmrev/qeaf044","DOIUrl":"10.1093/sxmrev/qeaf044","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) is a type of specific ultrasound that is delivered at low intensity and generated in pulsed wave mode. Previous studies have demonstrated the therapeutic applications of LIPUS in the healing or regeneration of several tissues. However, research on LIPUS therapy for erectile dysfunction (ED) is still limited.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This literature review aims to summarize the clinical trials, clinical applications, and the molecular mechanisms of LIPUS in ameliorating ED.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed and MEDLINE using the keywords: \"low-intensity pulsed ultrasound,\" \"erectile dysfunction,\" \"treatment,\" \"clinical trials,\" and \"mechanism.\"</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>LIPUS significantly improved erectile function in patients with mild-to-moderate ED in all of the clinical trials. Notably, no adverse events were reported in any of the studies. In addition, LIPUS was shown to promote erectile function mainly via the regeneration of cavernous nerves, the corpus cavernosum endothelium or smooth muscles, as well as via the activation of stem cells.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>LIPUS has demonstrated safety and efficacy in the treatment of ED based on clinical trials, and the mechanisms that are involved in these effects have been elucidated via basic studies. Although most clinical studies have lacked placebo-controlled groups and have included limited sample sizes, LIPUS therapy is still a promising area in ED research. However, it should be noted that the studies were conducted in China, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.</p>","PeriodicalId":21813,"journal":{"name":"Sexual medicine reviews","volume":" ","pages":"623-631"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144769069","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Male hypogonadism: recommendations from the Fifth International Consultation on Sexual Medicine (ICSM 2024).","authors":"Mohit Khera, Luiz Otavio Torres, Ethan D Grober, Abraham Morgentaler, Martin Miner, Thomas Hugh Jones, Jesse N Mills, Andrea Salonia","doi":"10.1093/sxmrev/qeaf036","DOIUrl":"10.1093/sxmrev/qeaf036","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Male hypogonadism is a clinical condition combining low circulating testosterone (T) and specific signs and symptoms associated with impaired hormone production.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To provide the 5th International Consultation for Sexual Medicine consensus paper with recommendations concerning management strategies for hypogonadism.</p><p><strong>Outcomes: </strong>A narrative review combined with expert opinions on major topics concerning diagnosis of male hypogonadism; treatment options; T impact toward cardiovascular, metabolic, sexual, and reproductive health; and prostate cancer (PCa).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A consensus panel was held with leading Sexual Medicine experts during the 5th ICSM. Relevant English-language peer-reviewed literature was reviewed with a focus on research from but not limited to the last 10 years. The quality of each individual study was judged with Oxford levels of evidence (LOEs) criteria, but overall LOEs were not used as a systematic review was not performed. The expert panel generated recommendations based on the quality of evidence and criteria of Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This manuscript reports a narrative reappraisal combined with authoritative expert opinion on the physiological role of T throughout the male aging process, with emphasis on the critical interpretation of the hypogonadal conditions associated with sexual dysfunction and male factor infertility. Likewise, particular attention was paid to relevant everyday clinical topics including cardiovascular health, metabolism and bone safety, and PCa survivorship. Clinically effective recommendations were given for 14 categories concerning hypogonadism diagnosis and 15 categories on testosterone therapy.</p><p><strong>Strengths and limitations: </strong>The combined main strength and limitation is the narrative profile of this literature review, which was intentionally devoted to addressing the critical clinical aspects of male hypogonadism, while neither provides a systematic review nor a meta-analysis of the most updated published data.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This manuscript discusses relevant clinical aspects and management recommendations of the 5th ICSM committee on male hypogonadism.</p>","PeriodicalId":21813,"journal":{"name":"Sexual medicine reviews","volume":" ","pages":"548-573"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144969586","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM): recommendations from the Fifth International Consultation on Sexual Medicine (ICSM 2024).","authors":"James A Simon, Rossella E Nappi, Peter Chedraui, Amanda L Clark, Anne Gompel, Shaikh Zinnat Ara Nasreen, Santiago Palacios, Wendy Wolfman","doi":"10.1093/sxmrev/qeaf055","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/sxmrev/qeaf055","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) encompasses a cluster of sexual symptoms like dyspareunia associated with genital and urinary symptoms like urinary urgency, which may be variably reported in the clinical setting.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To provide a comprehensive guide for healthcare professionals (HCPs) in sexual medicine, helping them effectively recognize and manage GSM, a very common chronic and progressive condition with an impact on quality of life and intimate relationships.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An expert committee, invited from seven countries by the 5th International Consultation on Sexual Medicine (ICSM), was comprised of eight researchers and clinicians with expertise in menopause medicine, for the purpose of reviewing and grading the scientific evidence on nosology, etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of GSM.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Presence of at least one GSM symptom ranges from 14% to 87% in postmenopausal women, with vaginal dryness and dyspareunia being the two most common symptoms. A summary of the recommendations on GSM management deriving from the evaluation of data, subject to its quality published in the scientific literature, is provided.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>GSM is a relatively new disorder with an expanded definition to further the older long-recognized condition of vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA) in postmenopausal women to include urinary symptoms and anchor the disorder to menopause and the hypoestrogenic state. This new disorder has provided renewed incentives to formalize a significant amount of multidisciplinary research in the last decade. However, many areas ranging from epidemiology to tailored effective and safe treatment options in clinical practice still require in-depth additional investigations.</p>","PeriodicalId":21813,"journal":{"name":"Sexual medicine reviews","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145114144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Psychological perspectives on male erectile dysfunction: a reappraisal.","authors":"Stanley E Althof, Raymond C Rosen","doi":"10.1093/sxmrev/qeaf052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/sxmrev/qeaf052","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>With accumulating, strongly supportive epidemiological evidence, a new understanding has emerged of the complex interactions between psychological factors (e.g., depression) and both erectile dysfunction (ED) and ischemic heart disease (IHD) in men.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>To elucidate the relationship between depression, ED, and IHD.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>We review recent studies on the relationship between ED, depression, and IHD. We also describe and evaluate current psychological theories related to ED onset and maintenance and consider the implications of recent large-scale studies linking ED, whether organically or psychologically based, with the presence of common, chronic diseases in men, particular IHD and depression.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There is a well-documented association between depression and both the development of IHD. Longitudinal studies have shown that the presence of depression increases the incidence and risk of ED over time; conversely, successful treatment of ED has been associated with significant improvements in mood and depression scores in patients with concomitant ED and depression. Treated depression has also been shown to reduce the risk of incident IHD. The recent Princeton IV panel concluded that ED is a potential harbinger or moderator of the link between depression and IHD. Additionally, the panel concluded that there is sufficient evidence currently to support the observation that psychogenic ED is an independent risk factor for heart disease in men. These findings apply in younger and older men.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The studies reviewed strongly suggest the need for more collaboration between mental health and other health care practitioners. Combination therapy has repeatedly been shown to increase treatment satisfaction and compliance, sexual and relational satisfaction, and decrease discontinuation rates. Finally, we discuss the next set of challenges in mental health including the role of AI sex- or psychotherapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":21813,"journal":{"name":"Sexual medicine reviews","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145092466","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Virtual reality in the management of male sexual dysfunction: an updated narrative review of the literature.","authors":"Pramod Krishnappa, Simone Tammaro, Jayaramaiah Sneha, Prasanna Matippa, Davide Arcaniolo, Marco De Sio, Celeste Manfredi","doi":"10.1093/sxmrev/qeaf051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/sxmrev/qeaf051","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising technology in medicine, offering innovative approaches for diagnostics, treatment, and patient education. However, its role in male sexual dysfunction (MSD) management remains underexplored, particularly among urologists.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To review the current evidence on the use of VR in the diagnosis and treatment of MSDs, assessing its feasibility, efficacy, and potential integration into clinical practice.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A comprehensive bibliographic search for a narrative review was conducted in October 2024 using Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify literature on VR applications in MSD management. The PICO framework of article selection was employed to include prospective and retrospective studies evaluating VR-based diagnostic and therapeutic interventions for MSD. Studies involving nonmale participants, nonsexual applications of VR, and technologies not classified as immersive VR (eg, televisions and laptops) were excluded.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In erectile dysfunction, VR-based audiovisual sexual stimulation (VR-AVSS) has demonstrated potential for assessing erectile function, providing an objective measure of arousal through RigiScan-based monitoring. Additionally, VR has been studied in psychosexual therapy, showing promise in managing performance anxiety and related psychological factors contributing to MSDs. In premature ejaculation, VR-based interventions may complement existing psychosexual and pharmacological treatments by facilitating behavioral training in immersive environments. While no clinical studies have directly examined VR applications in Peyronie's disease, theoretical models suggest its utility in patient education and 3-dimensional curvature simulation, aiding treatment planning and adherence. Emerging applications of VR in forensic settings include the assessment of sexual preferences, aversion disorders, and deviant sexual behaviors, utilizing physiological and eye-tracking metrics to enhance diagnostic accuracy.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>While current research has predominantly focused on psychological interventions, VR's potential in urological practice remains largely unexplored. Future studies are needed to validate VR's efficacy, optimize its clinical applications, and establish standardized protocols for its integration into MSD management.</p>","PeriodicalId":21813,"journal":{"name":"Sexual medicine reviews","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145087288","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}