Assessing sexuality of patients on dialysis and renal transplant: A Tunisian study

INTRODUCTION: Chronic renal failure is a public health issue. It leads to a degradation of physical integrity, hormonal disorders and a great psychological impact, which can lead to sexual disorders. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to identify risk factors of sexual dysfunction in patients on dialysis and renal transplant patients. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional survey conducted in nephrology department of Sahloul teaching hospital (Sousse) and Fattouma Bourguiba teaching hospital (Monastir) over two-month period. Patients on dialysis and renal transplant patients were included. Sexuality was assessed by FSFI and IIEF 15 RESULTS: This study enrolled 137 patients (99 patients with chronic renal failure and 38 renal transplant patients). The incidence of erectile dysfunction of men on dialysis was 57% and was associated to a decrease in testosterone level (11%) and an increase in LH level (50%). Its main risk factors were age (p=0.000), the duration (p=0.009), the cardiovascular diseases (p=0.03), the anxiety (p=0.000), the depression (p=0.000) and the different aspects of erectile dysfunction (p=0.000. In women on dialysis, the most common sexual disorder noticed was sexual arousal disorder (78.8%). In the transplant, erectile dysfunction was found in 18.2% of transplant men and was associated to age was a predictive factor (p=0.03). In women, orgasm and desire disorders were the most common (69%). Renal transplantation improved erectile dysfunction in men with IIEF score rising from 14 to 27 (p=0.021). It also improved sexual life in women: increase of desire (p=0.042) and orgasm scores (p=0.034). CONCLUSIONS: Sexual disorders remain common in patients on dialysis and with renal transplant. Their management requires a systematic screening to improve patients’ outcome DISCLOSURE OF INTEREST: None Declared