Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36030692›Full record

ArticleSexual medicine2022

Openness to Using an External Penile Prosthesis for Maintaining Sexual Intimacy by Individuals with Erectile Dysfunction: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Fong Fu, Cassian J Duthie, Erik Wibowo, Richard J Wassersug, Lauren M Walker

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Sexual medicine, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 43% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.

Fong FuDepartment of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Cassian J DuthieDepartment of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Erik WibowoDepartment of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Richard J WassersugDepartment of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Lauren M WalkerDepartment of Oncology, Division of Psychosocial Oncology, University of Calgary, & Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Canada. Electronic address: lauren.walker@ahs.ca.
Dunedin Public Hospital · NZDepartment of Physiological Sciences · RUUniversity of Calgary · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionErectile dysfunction (ED) can lead to reduced sexual intimacy in men. The external penile prosthesis (EPP) is a device to help them participate in penetrative sex.

aimWe investigate factors that may affect the willingness of individuals with ED to try an EPP and explore how the EPP could be presented most effectively to such patients to enhance their willingness to try an EPP.

methodsRecruitment for this cross-sectional study occurred in-person and online. 147 participants (60.0 ± 14.3 years old; all experiencing self-reported ED) completed a survey containing both validated measures and questions specific to this study. The survey was open to English-speakers over the age of 18 who self-reported experiencing ED.

main outcome measureThe primary outcome was participants' willingness to try an EPP based on their level of knowledge about using the EPP. Secondary outcomes included the influence of the sexual function, sexual distress, ED history, age, relationship duration, sexual flexibility on willingness to try an EPP. We also collected feedback from participants' on how and where they would like to be introduced to the EPP option.

resultsMost participants indicated a preference for being introduced to the EPP after trying some ED treatments (51.0%). Participants did not have strong preference regarding the setting where they were informed about the EPP. The majority however preferred having a sexual health therapist/counsellor (28.6%) or physician (25.9%) as the person introducing the EPP to them. Participants' willingness to try the EPP increased with more information about the EPP presented to them (P < .001). Personalization of the EPP to match one's own penis was preferred by 38.7% of participants. Referring to this aid as an 'external penile prosthesis' was significantly more preferred over alternative labels, such as a "belted prosthetic phallus" or "strap-on dildo" (Ps < .001 for both). Multiple regression analyses showed that only sexual script flexibility was associated with the initial willingness to try an EPP (P < .01). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Clinicians should consider presenting the EPP to men with ED, who desire maintaining penetrative sexual intercourse with their partners. STRENGTH AND LIMITATIONS: This is the first study to explore factors influencing the willingness to try an EPP. Further research is needed to establish the efficacy of EPPs for maintaining sexual activity and satisfaction in the real-life setting.

conclusionThis study informs clinicians about effective ways to introduce the EPP to patients with ED who wish to maintain insertive/receptive sex. Fu F, Duthie CJ, Wibowo E, et al. Openness to Using an External Penile Prosthesis for Maintaining Sexual Intimacy by Individuals with Erectile Dysfunction: A Cross-Sectional Study. Sex Med 2022;10:100559.

Indexed as

Erectile DysfunctionPenetrative SexPenile ProsthesisProstate CancerSexual DysfunctionStrap-on Dildo

Identifiers

PMID36030692
PMCPMC9537238
OpenAlexW4293156077

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.