Validity of the Arabic version of the sexual health inventory for men among Egyptians

The objective of this study is to assess the validity of Arabic version of the abridged International Index of Erectile Function among a sample from the Egyptian populace. Two groups were included in this study. Group A included 68 patients complaining of erectile dysfunction (ED)>1 y, who failed oral treatment and accepted intracavernous self-injection. All patients of group A were previously clinically diagnosed as having ED. Group B included 68 men not complaining of ED and not suffering from any major chronic or acute illness. The mean (s.d.) age of all 136 patients was 52+/-5.7 y. Candidates of both groups were requested to complete the Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to assess the internal consistency of the SHIM. The items of maintenance ability, erection confidence, maintenance frequency, erection firmness and intercourse satisfaction showed an overall ICC of 0.92. Internal consistency for the whole scale was 0.91. In conclusion, the Arabic version of the SHIM administered to 136 Egyptian men proved to be reliable and valid. It also showed a high degree of specificity and sensitivity among the Egyptian population.