Quality of partnership in patients with erectile dysfunction after sildenafil treatment

Objective: A comprehensive investigation on the quality of partnership of male patients with erectile dysfunction (ED) after treatment with sildenafil vs. untreated patients, as perceived by both the patients and their female partners. Methods: This report describes an observational, cross-sectional exploratory study comparing ED patients responsive to sildenafil with ED patients prior to therapy. Assessments included the 'International Index of Erectile Function' (IIEF) and the 'Partnerschaftsfragebogen' (PFB), a partnership questionnaire used in German-speaking countries. The comparability of the two study groups was examined using a stepwise legit model. Significant intergroup differences regarding demographics and history were identified and included as confounding variables in the assessment of Quality of Partnership differences using ANCOVA. A regression analysis was performed to determine the association between the mean total IIEF scores and Quality of Partnership measures. Results: 105 patients were included in the study. After adjustment for confounding variables, the groups varied significantly with respect to Quality of Partnership as perceived by men (mean score PFB 61.8 +/- 13.9 vs. 54.4 +/- 15.5; p <0.001) and women (mean score PFB 63.1 +/- 13.6 vs. 57.0 +/- 14.7; p = 0.006). In men, all three PFB subscales (quarreling, tenderness, togetherness) differed significantly between the two study groups. In the female partners, the tenderness and togetherness domains varied significantly. Erectile function correlated highly significantly with tenderness and togetherness in both the male patients and their partners. Conclusion: Our data indicate that the Quality of Partnership reported by both the men and their female partners is significantly better in appropriately treated ED patients than in untreated controls.