Improvement in emotional well-being and relationships of users of sildenafil

Purpose: We estimated the association of sildenafil use with erectile funct ion, relationship with sexual partner, functional status and emotional well -being in men with erectile dysfunction. Materials and Methods: Letters were mailed to eligible patients at a univer sity hospital urology and internal medicine clinic, and university affiliat ed community primary care clinics by the primary care provider or urologist inviting them to participate in the study. Of the eligible sample 124 men (53%) completed and returned a survey, including 85 who reported current si ldenafil use. Change scores in these patients were calculated using the Int ernational Index of Erectile Function, marital interaction scale from the C ancer Rehabilitation Evaluation System Short Form, 5-item emotional well-be ing scale of the RAND 36-Item Health Survey and 12-Item Short Form Health S urvey. Results: Sildenafil users reported an 88% increase in erectile function sco res, 60% increase in overall sexual satisfaction and 36% increase in interc ourse satisfaction related to the use of sildenafil (p <0.001). Of the resp ondents 38% indicated that using sildenafil had definitely improved quality of life. Likewise 29% of respondents indicated that using sildenafil had d efinitely improved the relationship with their partner. With sildenafil the re was a statistically significant improvement in the scores of erectile an d sexual function (p <0.001), sexual partner relationship (p = 0.007) and e motional well-being (p <0.001). In a multivariate model improved erectile f unction and sexual partner relationship were each significantly associated with improved emotional well-being (R-2 = 0.20, p <0.001). Conclusions: Sildenafil users reported significant improvements in erectile and sexual function that were associated with positive changes in emotiona l well-being and the sexual partner relationships with their sexual partner .