The inability to perform sexually can have a significant negative psychosocial impact on a man's overall health including depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.
New research shows that safe and effective oral treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) can improve relationships, sexual confidence, and self-esteem in men with ED.
In the March issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine, researchers have published the first investigation examining both equivalence testing and traditional statistical testing for men with ED regarding changes in sexual function, sexual self-confidence, self-esteem, and overall relationship satisfaction. Through administration both before and after taking sildenafil (Viagra) of the Self-Esteem And Relationship (SEAR) questionnaire, a multi-dimensional, psychometrically validated questionnaire, the research concluded that men with ED using sildenafil revealed normalization of their relationships, confidence, and self-esteem when compared to men without ED.
The article entitled: "Comparison Between Sildenafil-Treated Subjects with Erectile Dysfunction and Control Subjects on the Self-Esteem And Relationship Questionnaire" published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, involved 93 men with ED in stable relationships, using sildenafil as needed for 10 weeks. These patients were compared with a control group of 94 male volunteers with no history of ED also in a stable relationships, a novel study design.
To enhance interpretation and meaning of the health-related quality of life scores, SEAR data were compared between subjects with ED and control men without ED. Average score values between the ED group and the no-ED control group were evaluated in terms of not only statistical testing but also equivalence testing. The purpose of a traditional statistical test is to determine whether mean scores of two groups differ beyond chance, whereas the purpose of equivalence testing is to determine whether mean scores of two groups are sufficiently near each other to be considered equivalent.
The researchers concluded that mean SEAR scores between subjects with ED at baseline and control subjects without ED were statistically different from zero and not statistically equivalent. Conversely, mean Self-Esteem And Relationship questionnaire scores between ED subjects after treatment and control subjects were statistically equivalent and not statistically different from zero.