Impact of acromegaly on sexuality of men and women

Abstract

The aim of this study is to describe the psychological impacts of sexual dysfunction due to acromegaly and to verify if there are differences in the influence of the pathology of specific form in the sexual activity of both genders.  A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using the AcroQol (Acromegaly Quality of Life Questionnaire) questionnaire in 71 patients from the state of Bahia diagnosed with the pathology. The main results show a significant correlation between the discomfort with the self-image after the diagnosis, and the impacts on the acromegalic sexual activity. On average, 33.8% of the sample, including men and women, reported experiencing difficulties in having sex. As for libido, men reported having low sexual desire due to acromegaly (30.4%), while in women, more than half (54.2%) reported decreased sexual desire after diagnosis. As main conclusions of the study, it was found that nearly half of the sample never had difficulty in maintain sexual relations due to acromegaly, whereas more than half of women and a third of men reported decreased libido. It has also been identified that not only the hormonal issue interferes with sexual dysfunction, but also emotional and psychological aspects.