Psychosexual disorders: A cross-sectional study among opioid-dependent individuals

Context: Punjab is in hold of a drug abuse-related epidemic, and the prevalence of opioid misuse is increased in the last few decades. A large-scale epidemiological data on sexual disorders among opioid users are lacking in literature. Aim: The aim of this articles was to study the prevalence of sexual disorders in patients with opioid dependence. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a de-addiction clinic of a tertiary care centre from Punjab, India. Methods and Materials: A total of 109 consecutive patients attending the de-addiction clinic and fulfilling the eligibility criteria were assessed for sexual dysfunction by a predesigned, pretested, semistructured questionnaire. International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-15) was administered to all patients to explore various aspects of sexual dysfunction. Statistical Analysis: Collected data were analyzed by SPSS version 20 using appropriate statistical test. Results: Mean age of participants was 29.9 years, 67% were married and heroin was the opioid of choice for 81.7%. Impaired sexual desire (59.6%) was the commonest psychosexual problem, followed by decreased orgasmic function (57.8%), erectile dysfunction (56.4%), decreased overall satisfaction (52.2%), and decreased intercourse satisfaction (46.7%). Conclusions: The prevalence of all types of sexual dysfunction was found to be statistically significant with more than 1 year of opioid use. These findings can be used to motivate the patients to enter a rehabilitation program at an earlier stage of opioid dependence. Opioid-dependent individuals should be thoroughly investigated for sexual dysfunction and its treatment should be made an integral part of de-addiction and rehabilitation program.