CHRONIC-ALCOHOLISM AND MALE SEXUAL FUNCTION

Objective: The relation between chronic alcohol abuse and male sexuali ty remains uncertain. This study assessed the effect of chronic alcoho lism on sexual function, marital adjustment, sleep-related erections, sleep disorders, and hormone levels during abstinence from alcohol. Me thod: Twenty chronically alcoholic melt, aged 28-59 years, without evi dence of severe hepatic disease and free from unrelated medical illnes ses, were assessed 2-36 months after achieving sobriety and compared t o a group of 20 nonalcoholic volunteers. Each subject and his sexual p artner underwent semistructured interviews and completed several quest ionnaires; the men had medical and psychiatric evaluations and polygra phic assessment of sleep parameters and nocturnal penile tumescence du ring 4 nights, with the last night devoted to sequential blood samplin g for evaluation of hormone levels. Results: The alcoholic melt did no t differ from the comparison group in any sexual dimension or in the p revalence of sexual problems despite the significant marital dissatisf action reported by their sexual partners. In addition, there were no d ifferences between groups in sleep and nocturnal penile tumescence mea sures. The alcoholic group had a greater prevalence of periodic leg mo vement disorders but no respiratory abnormalities during sleep. Except for a significant overnight increase in plasma luteinizing hormone in the alcoholic men, there were no differences between groups in total and bioavailable testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and prolactin or i n the nocturnal circadian changes in testosterone and prolactin levels . Conclusions: These findings suggest that prolonged and severe alcoho l abuse in men is compatible with normal sexual function during sobrie ty in the absence of substantial hepatic or gonadal failure.