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International Journal of Clinical and... 2024Men do not use external condoms for several reasons, which can result in public health problems. One of these is related to Condom-Associated Erectile Problems. This...
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE
Men do not use external condoms for several reasons, which can result in public health problems. One of these is related to Condom-Associated Erectile Problems. This study aimed to examine the sexual arousal response of heterosexual men when using an external condom made of synthetic resin type AT-10.
METHOD
A total of 82 Colombian young men (age = 23.17 years, = 3.04, age range = 18-30) participated in this experimental study. Two random groups (experimental and control; = 41 each) were compared. The experimental group used condoms, whereas the control group did not. Fit and feel condom perceptions, initial erectile scores, age, and substance use were controlled for. Erection was measured while viewing a sexual video by using penile plethysmography and subjective arousal.
RESULTS
The results, obtained from comparing the experimental group (using pre-erection condoms) with the control group (not using condoms), revealed no significant difference in both subjective and physiological sexual arousal. This suggests that pre-erection condoms do not have an effect on the erectile response.
DISCUSSION
More research is needed in this area to provide treatment and clinical interventions or sexual and reproductive education to mitigate the occurrence of sexual dysfunction, unplanned pregnancies, or sexually transmitted infections. Also, research addresses public health issues related to the prevention and/or intervention of sexual risk behaviors and sexual dysfunctions, highlighting their significance in sexual education and clinical practice.
PubMed: 38348144
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2024.100442 -
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 2023In the presented review, we analyzed the physiology of male sexual arousal and its relation to the motivational aspects of this behavior. We highlighted the distinction... (Review)
Review
In the presented review, we analyzed the physiology of male sexual arousal and its relation to the motivational aspects of this behavior. We highlighted the distinction between these processes based on observable physiological and behavioral parameters. Thus, we proposed the experimentally applicable differentiation between sexual arousal (SA) and sexual motivation (SM). We propose to define sexual arousal as an overall autonomic nervous system response leading to penile erection, triggered selectively by specific sexual cues. These autonomic processes include both spinal and supraspinal neuronal networks, activated by sensory pathways including information from sexual partner and sexual context, as well as external and internal genital organs. To avoid misinterpretation of experimental data, we also propose to precise the term "sexual motivation" as all actions performed by the individual that increase the probability of sexual interactions or increase the probability of exposition to sexual context cues. Neuronal structures such as the amygdala, bed nucleus of stria terminalis, hypothalamus, nucleus raphe, periaqueductal gray, and nucleus paragigantocellularis play crucial roles in controlling the level of arousal and regulating peripheral responses via specific autonomic effectors. On the highest level of CNS, the activity of cortical structures involved in the regulation of the autonomic nervous system, such as the insula and anterior cingulate cortex, can visualize an elevated level of SA in both animal and human brains. From a preclinical perspective, we underlie the usefulness of the non-contact erection test (NCE) procedure in understanding factors influencing sexual arousal, including studies of sexual preference in animal models. Taken together results obtained by different methods, we wanted to focus attention on neurophysiological aspects that are distinctly related to sexual arousal and can be used as an objective parameter, leading to higher translational transparency between basic, preclinical, and clinical studies.
PubMed: 38333545
DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1330460 -
Sexual Medicine Feb 2024It is difficult to diagnose hypogonadism because of the lack of objective assessments of erectile dysfunction (ED), which is caused by hypogonadism.
BACKGROUND
It is difficult to diagnose hypogonadism because of the lack of objective assessments of erectile dysfunction (ED), which is caused by hypogonadism.
AIM
To provide a new approach for diagnosing hypogonadism, this study evaluated the efficacy of nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity (NPTR) testing with RigiScan for patients with ED with and without hypogonadism.
METHODS
From June 2021 to February 2023, 133 patients with ED (62 with hypogonadism and 71 without) underwent NPTR testing at the Department of Andrology. A detailed history of all participants was obtained. All participants also underwent a physical examination, sex hormone testing, and ultrasound examination of the cavernous vessels of the penis.
OUTCOMES
Patient characteristics, sex hormone serum levels, and RigiScan Plus data of NPTR testing of patients with ED were obtained and evaluated.
RESULTS
Between the groups, there were no significant differences in age, body mass index, or erectile function score or in the prevalence of smoking, drinking, diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. RigiScan data revealed differences in erection episodes per night, average event rigidity, erection durations, and percentage of tumescence greater than baseline, which were significantly lower in the testosterone-deficient group than in the normal testosterone group. The average event rigidity of the tip displayed the largest area under the curve value, with a sensitivity of 67.6%, a specificity of 85.5%, and a cutoff value of 52.50.
CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
Our findings may allow appropriate patients to receive testosterone replacement therapy, which has been shown to be an effective treatment for hypogonadism.
STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS
This is the first study of its kind to perform a comprehensive review of the association between hypogonadism and RigiScan parameters. This study was limited by its small sample size.
CONCLUSION
RigiScan parameters of patients with ED and testosterone deficiency were significantly lower than those of patients with normal testosterone; therefore, RigiScan is useful for the differential diagnosis of patients with ED caused by hypogonadism.
PubMed: 38322195
DOI: 10.1093/sexmed/qfad072 -
The World Journal of Men's Health Jan 2024To evaluate the expression of core molecular clock genes/proteins in penile cavernous tissue from healthy male subjects and to determine whether their expression has...
PURPOSE
To evaluate the expression of core molecular clock genes/proteins in penile cavernous tissue from healthy male subjects and to determine whether their expression has circadian variation.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Corpus cavernosum biopsy samples were obtained from 10 healthy males with penile deviation or fracture who underwent surgical intervention during the day and night. The daytime group (n=5) underwent corpus cavernosum tissue sampling during zeitgeber time (ZT) 8-12, while the nighttime group (n=5) underwent sampling during ZT 20-24. The expression and localization of BMAL1, CLOCK, PER1, PER2, PER3, CRY1, and CRY2 proteins were analyzed using immunohistochemistry and quantified using H-score analysis. RT-qPCR analysis was performed to assess the expression of core molecular clock genes in the corpus cavernosum tissue of 5 additional daytime patients.
RESULTS
The expression of core molecular clock proteins was detected in vascular endothelial cells (VECs) and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in corpus cavernosum during daytime and nighttime. BMAL1 exhibited the most significant nuclear expression during daytime in both cell types, whereas its expression decreased significantly at night. In VECs, a significant decrease in the nuclear expression of CRY1 was observed at night. In SMCs, a significant decrease in the cytoplasmic expression of PER3 was observed at night. The expression patterns of the core molecular clock genes were ascertained through a RT-qPCR analysis.
CONCLUSIONS
Our research provides compelling evidence that core molecular clock genes are distinctly expressed in penile tissue in humans. Furthermore, we observed the expression of molecular clock proteins within the VECs and SMCs of the corpus cavernosum, with BMAL1 being the most prominently expressed. The discovery of core molecular clock genes in penile tissue, as well as proteins within the SMCs and VECs of the corpus cavernosum, introduces the potential significance of the molecular clock mechanism in the physiology of penile erection.
PubMed: 38311375
DOI: 10.5534/wjmh.230136 -
The Journal of Pharmacology and... Jan 2024Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) display priapism, a prolonged penile erection in the absence of sexual arousal. The current pharmacological treatments for...
Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) display priapism, a prolonged penile erection in the absence of sexual arousal. The current pharmacological treatments for SCD-associated priapism are limited and focused on acute interventions rather than prevention. Thus, there is an urgent need for new drug targets and preventive pharmacological therapies for this condition. This review focuses on the molecular mechanisms linked to the dysfunction of the NO-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) pathway implicated in SCD-associated priapism. In murine models of SCD, reduced NO-cGMP bioavailability in the corpus cavernosum is associated with elevated plasma hemoglobin levels, increased ROS levels that inactive NO, and testosterone deficiency that leads to eNOS downregulation. We discuss the consequences of the reduced cGMP-dependent PDE5 activity in response to these molecular changes, highlighting it as the primary pathophysiological mechanism leading to excessive corpus cavernosum relaxation, culminating in priapism. We also further discuss the impact of intravascular hemolysis on therapeutic approaches, present current pharmacological strategies targeting the NO-cGMP-PDE5 pathway in the penis, and identify potential pharmacological targets for future priapism therapies. In men with SCD and priapism, PDE5 inhibitor therapy and testosterone replacement have shown promising results. Recent preclinical research reported the beneficial effect of treatment with haptoglobin and NO donors. Significant strides have been made in understanding the pathophysiology of SCD-associated priapism. This review discusses the molecular changes that reduce NO-cGMP bioavailability in the penis in SCD and highlights pharmacological targets and therapeutic strategies for the treatment of priapism, including PDE5 inhibitors, hormonal modulators, NO donors, soluble guanylate cyclase stimulators, haptoglobin, hemopexin, and antioxidants.
PubMed: 38262744
DOI: 10.1124/jpet.123.001962 -
IJU Case Reports Jan 2024Penile strangulation is a rare urological emergency that necessitates urgent management. The reasoning behind it may include sexual pleasure, erection reinforcement, or...
INTRODUCTION
Penile strangulation is a rare urological emergency that necessitates urgent management. The reasoning behind it may include sexual pleasure, erection reinforcement, or a psychiatric disorder.
CASE PRESENTATION
Despite being an uncommon complication of penile strangulation, we report a 45-year-old prison inmate who presented with penile shaft necrosis secondary to using a non-metallic constriction object. The patient reported a 5-day history of progressive penile pain, edema, and skin injury but no urinary symptoms. The patient underwent complete penile skin degloving, circumcision, and insertion of a suprapubic catheter. Postoperatively, the penile tissue appeared healthy, and the wound was granulating. On the eleventh day following degloving, a full-thickness skin graft was taken from the groin area. The patient remained in the hospital for 20 days, during which he was clinically stable with clean, healing wounds.
CONCLUSION
Early management of penile strangulation is vital in order to prevent vascular and mechanical complications.
PubMed: 38173451
DOI: 10.1002/iju5.12663 -
JMIR Formative Research Jan 2024Psychological inflexibility is a core concept of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), which is a comprehensive, transdiagnostic interpretation of mental health...
BACKGROUND
Psychological inflexibility is a core concept of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), which is a comprehensive, transdiagnostic interpretation of mental health symptoms. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a condition that affects male sexual performance, involving the inability to achieve and maintain a penile erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual activity. Psychosocial factors primarily influence ED in men younger than 40 years, whereas biological factors are more likely to be the underlying cause in older men.
OBJECTIVE
This web-based cross-sectional study examined differences in depression, anxiety, and psychological inflexibility among men with ED younger and older than 40 years in a Japanese population.
METHODS
We used a web-based survey to gather data from various community samples. ED was assessed by the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) questionnaire, while depression, anxiety, and psychological inflexibility were evaluated by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (CFQ), and Valuing Questionnaire-Obstacle Subscale (VQ-OB) questionnaires. The chi-square test estimated the scores of PHQ-9 and GAD-7 among men with ED, comparing those younger than 40 years and those older than 40 years. Additionally, a two-way ANOVA was conducted with ED severity and age group as independent variables, assessing psychological inflexibility.
RESULTS
Valid responses from 643 individuals (mean age 36.19, SD 7.54 years) were obtained. Of these, 422 were younger than 40 years (mean age 31.76, SD 5.00 years), and 221 were older than 40 years (mean age 44.67, SD 2.88 years). There was a statistical difference in the prevalence of depression as judged by PHQ≥10 between men with ED younger and older than 40 years (P<.001). On the other hand, there was no difference in the prevalence of anxiety as judged by GAD≥10 (P=.12). The two-way ANOVA revealed that the interactions for CFQ (P=.04) and VQ-OB (P=.01) were significant. The simple main effect was that men with ED younger than 40 years had significantly higher CFQ (P=.01; d=0.62) and VQ-OB (P<.001; d=0.87) scores compared to those older than 40 years in moderate ED and severe ED. Additionally, it was found that men younger than 40 years with moderate to severe ED had significantly higher CFQ (P=.01; d=0.42) and VQ-OB (P=.02; d=0.38) scores compared to men younger than 40 years without ED. On the other hand, no interaction was found for AAQ-II (P=.16) scores.
CONCLUSIONS
To the best of our knowledge, this web-based cross-sectional study is the first to examine the relationship between psychological inflexibility and ED. We conclude that men with moderate and severe ED younger than 40 years have higher psychological inflexibility and might be eligible for ACT.
PubMed: 38170587
DOI: 10.2196/45998