Decline in Male Sexual Desire, Function, and Satisfaction During and After Antiviral Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis C
Background & Aims
The recommended therapy for chronic hepatitis C, pegylated interferon and ribavirin for 24 or 48 weeks, has many known adverse side effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of antiviral therapy on male sexual health.
Methods
As part of the Study of Viral Resistance to Antiviral Therapy of Chronic Hepatitis C (Virahep-C), 260 men treated with pegylated interferon alfa-2a and ribavirin completed self-administered questionnaires concerning sexual desire, sexual function, including erectile and ejaculatory function, and sexual satisfaction before, during, and after treatment.
Results
Before therapy, 37% of men reported at least some degree of impairment in sexual desire and 44% reported dissatisfaction with their sexual life, while 26% reported impairment in erectile and 22% in ejaculatory function. During therapy, significant declines were observed in all components of sexual health compared with pretreatment. At the end of therapy (24 or 48 weeks), an estimated 38%–48% of men reported that overall sexual function was worse than before treatment. African American patients reported less impairment in sexual desire and satisfaction than Caucasian American patients during therapy. By 24 weeks after treatment, sexual desire and satisfaction improved and were comparable to baseline levels. However, among men who received 48 weeks of therapy, the estimated percentage of men reporting posttreatment erectile or ejaculatory problems remained higher than baseline, although persistent erectile impairment was limited to Caucasian American patients.
Conclusions
Sexual impairment is common among men with chronic hepatitis C undergoing therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin and should be considered as a potential side effect of antiviral therapy.
Abbreviations used in this paper: CES-D, Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale, CI, confidence interval, peginterferon, pegylated interferon, SF-36, Short Form-36, SVR, sustained virological response, Virahep-C, Study of Viral Resistance to Antiviral Therapy of Chronic Hepatitis C
Conflicts of interest The authors disclose no conflicts.
Funding This study was funded as a cooperative agreement by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases with cosupport from the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities and the Intramural Research Program of the National Cancer Institute with further support under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with Roche Laboratories, Inc. Supported by grants U01 DK60329, U01 DK60340, U01 DK60324, U01 DK60344, U01 DK60327, U01 DK60335, U01 DK60352, U01 DK60342, U01 DK60345, U01 DK60309, U01 DK60346, U01 DK60349, and U01 DK60341 and National Center for Research Resources General Clinical Research Centers Program grants M01 RR00645 (New York Presbyterian), M02 RR000079 (University of California, San Francisco), M01 RR16500 (University of Maryland), M01 RR000042 (University of Michigan), and M01 RR00046 (University of North Carolina). Peginterferon, ribavirin, HCV RNA detection assays, and funds for ancillary studies were provided by Roche Pharmaceutics through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between Roche and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. NCT Trial Number: NCT00038974.
PII: S0016-5085(09)00919-6
doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2009.05.060
© 2009 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
