Priapism in Sickle Cell Disease: An Evaluation of the Knowledge of an at Risk Population in Jamaica

INTRODUCTION: Ischemic priapism is characterized by painful erections that may lead to erectile dysfunction. Men with sickle cell disease (SCD) are particularly prone to this condition, however, the knowledge among this population with respect to possible complications is not well known. AIM: The objective of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of males with SCD about priapism and its possible consequences. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out among consecutive consenting males aged 12 years and older with SCD presenting to the Sickle Cell Unit between September 2018 and August 2019. All participants completed a questionnaire detailing knowledge on the definition of priapism, its association with SCD, consequences of untreated priapism and treatment strategies. The responses were used to generate a total priapism knowledge score for each of the participants. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Main outcomes included knowledge of the term priapism, its association with SCD as well as the total priapism knowledge score. RESULTS: 219 patients of mean age 29.8 ± 13 years completed the questionnaire. 38.4% of patients were familiar with the term priapism and of these 68.8% were aware of the association between SCD and priapism. There was a significant association between knowledge of association of priapism with SCD and increasing educational level (P = .036) and history of prior priapism episodes (P = .02). There was a significant association between knowledge of the term “priapism” and history of priapism (P = .002). The mean total priapism knowledge score among the participants was 5.16 out of a maximum score of 12, with 70.8% of participants being categorized as having “poor knowledge.” CONCLUSION: There is a general lack of knowledge among patients with SCD with respect to the term priapism. Education campaigns geared toward addressing the identified knowledge gaps may prove beneficial in increasing awareness among this population and potentially decrease the risk of complications. Whyte N, Morrison-Blidgen B, Asnani M, Priapism in Sickle Cell Disease: An Evaluation of the Knowledge of an at Risk Population in Jamaica. Sex Med 2021;9:100339.