The use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has extended the survival of people with HIV/AIDS (PHAs) who can adhere to and tolerate these medications. As PHAs live longer, issues related to quality of life begin to have more importance. One of these issues is sexual dysfunction. Most studies in PHAs dealing with this subject have been on males. For details about a study that included both females and males, please see TreatmentUpdate 120.
A problem interpreting the results from some of the sexual dysfunction studies is that they do not always take into account certain factors which can cause sexual dysfunction, including the following:
The number of drugs, both prescription and recreational, that have been linked to sexual dysfunction is large. Below is a brief list of some classes of such drugs:
Because of the previously mentioned conditions, as well as the wide variety of drugs that can cause sexual dysfunction, trying to find the cause of this problem in PHAs who are taking many drugs is not an easy task. In this issue of TreatmentUpdate, we review two studies on male sexual dysfunction in subjects who were taking HAART. In reading the results of these two studies, it is worth noting that in the time before HAART several studies found a relatively high level of sexual dysfunction — between 53% and 67% — in HIV positive men.
REFERENCES
1. Schrooten W, Colebunders R, Youle M, et al. Sexual dysfunction associated with protease inhibitor containing highly active antretroviral treatment. AIDS 2001;15:1019-1023.
2. Laumann EO, Paik A and Rosen RC. Sexual dysfunction in the United States: prevalence and predictors. Journal of the American Medical Association 1999;281:537-544.
3. Colson AE, Keller MJ, Sax PE, et al. Male sexual dysfunction associated with antiretroviral therapy. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 2002;30(1):27-32.
4. Lallemand F, Salhi Y, Linard F, et al. Sexual dysfunction in 156 ambulatory HIV-infected men receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy combinations with and without protease inhibitors. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 2002;30(2):187-190.
20020710
CATE12803
Copyright © 2002 - TreatmentUpdate. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Editor, The Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange, 555 Richmond St. West, Suite 505, Box 1104, Toronto, ON, M5V 3B1 • Phone: 416-203-7122 • Toll Free: 1-800-263-1638 • Fax: 416-203-8284 http://www.catie.ca.
AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Elton John AIDS Foundation, iMetrikus, Inc., the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2002. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2002. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content.