SynthesisThe journal of sexual medicine2021
Relationship Between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Sexual Difficulties: A Systematic Review of Veterans and Military Personnel.
Synthesis in The journal of sexual medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
23 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 54 citations in OpenAlex.
- An ecological approach to understanding the impact of sexual violence: a systematic meta-review.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Pooled it
- Stress, sex, and symptomics: Individual posttraumatic stress symptoms and sexual behaviors in adolescents.Journal of child & adolescent trauma · 2026Article
- Article
- Recent intimate partner violence is associated with worse sexual function among women veterans.Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy · 2026Article
- Peripartum predictors of postpartum dyspareunia: a longitudinal observational cohort study.Archives of women's mental health · 2026Observational
- Change in sexual distress during cognitive processing therapy: Characterization and baseline predictors.Journal of affective disorders · 2026Article
- Sexual function in women with complex PTSD: a comparative study.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- A Dyadic Analysis of Posttraumatic Stress Clusters and Sexual Satisfaction with U.S. Veteran Couples.Archives of sexual behavior · 2026Article
- Near-infrared laser transcranial photobiomodulation for the treatment of chronic stress-induced low sexual desire in male mice.Lasers in medical science · 2025Article
- Wartime Stress and Sexual Well-Being: A Longitudinal Study of Cohabitating Adults in Israel.Archives of sexual behavior · 2025Article
- Cannabis for female orgasmic disorder/difficulty: a systematic review.Sexual medicine · 2025Review
- Understanding sexual dysfunction in french military service member with PTSD: findings from a descriptive study.Basic and clinical andrology · 2025Article
- Emotional Disorders, Risk Factors, and Correlations of Post-Partum Depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder with Sexual Function During Post-Partum Period.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Reproductive and sexual health concerns in gastrointestinal illness: a narrative review.Translational gastroenterology and hepatology · 2025Review
- Time Series Analysis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Military Veterans: A Literature Review and Pilot Study.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2025Article
- Narrative Exposure Therapy: Expanding Virtual Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder to the Postpartum Period.Journal of aggression, maltreatment & trauma · 2025Article
- Assessment of the effect of cannabis use before partnered sex on women with and without orgasm difficulty.Sexual medicine · 2024Article
- War-Time Stress and Sexual Well-Being in Israel.International journal of sexual health : official journal of the World Association for Sexual Health · 2024Article
- Prevalence of sexual desire and arousal difficulties among women veterans: A retrospective cohort design.Psychological services · 2023Article
- History of Sexual Assault as a Predictor of Response to a Self-Guided Online Program for Sexual Desire and Arousal Difficulties in Women.Archives of sexual behavior · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPosttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with sexual difficulties but the nuances of this relationship remain elusive. Research has increased in recent years, most notably following publication of several reviews in 2015.
aimThis systematic review examines the relationship between PTSD and sexual difficulties in veterans/military personnel.
methodsA systematic review was conducted using PRISMA guidelines in PsycINFO and PubMed databases for studies examining a diagnosis of PTSD or PTSD severity in relation to a range of sexual difficulties. Forty-three studies were identified that met inclusion and exclusion criteria for this review.
resultsPTSD was associated with increased risk of experiencing at least one sexual difficulty. PTSD was most clearly associated with overall sexual function, sexual desire, sexual satisfaction, and sexual distress. Results were mixed for sexual arousal, orgasm function, erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, sexual pain, and frequency of sexual activity. PTSD symptom clusters of avoidance and negative alterations in cognition/mood were most commonly associated sexual difficulties. Few studies compared results by gender and trauma type. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Clinicians should inquire about sexual health in relation to PTSD symptoms and target avoidance and negative mood symptoms by incorporating sexual exposure assignments and sexual activation exercises when appropriate. STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: This systematic review synthesizes an extensive literature that has grown substantially in the past 5 years and includes studies with low to moderate risk of bias. Limitations of the existing literature include challenges differentiating between PTSD and depression, inconsistent measurement of PTSD and trauma histories, inconsistent operationalization and measurement of sexual outcomes, and largely cross-sectional study designs.
conclusionPTSD is linked to a range of sexual outcomes. The current literature suggests that PTSD is associated with sexual difficulties related to both the sexual response cycle (ie, sexual desire) and one's emotional relationship to sexual activity (eg, sexual distress). More research is needed to increase confidence in findings. Bird ER, Piccirillo M, Garcia N, et al. Relationship Between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Sexual Difficulties: A Systematic Review of Veterans and Military Personnel. J Sex Med 2021;18:1398-1426.
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Registered trials
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