Scales for Assessing Male Sexual Function are not Entirely Applicable to Gay and Bisexual Men with Prostate Cancer

Joanna M Mainwaring; Tsz Kin Lee; Richard J Wassersug; Erik Wibowo

doi:10.1016/j.ucl.2023.06.015

Scales for Assessing Male Sexual Function are not Entirely Applicable to Gay and Bisexual Men with Prostate Cancer

Urol Clin North Am. 2023 Nov;50(4):549-561. doi: 10.1016/j.ucl.2023.06.015. Epub 2023 Aug 7.

Authors

Joanna M Mainwaring¹, Tsz Kin Lee², Richard J Wassersug³, Erik Wibowo⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
² British Columbia Cancer, Abbotsford, Canada.
³ Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
⁴ Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Electronic address: erik.wibowo@otago.ac.nz.

PMID: 37775214
DOI: 10.1016/j.ucl.2023.06.015

Abstract

Scales designed for assessing male sexual function may not be suitable for men of all sexual orientations. We reviewed frequently used sexual function scales and examined the item content and documentation of validation. These scales predominantly focus on general sexual function and erection. They lack questions on behaviors relevant to men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM), such as anal sex, masturbation, or sexual activities outside of committed relationships. Additionally, the validation samples rarely mention inclusion of MSM, revealing a clear gap in the clinical evaluation tools available for MSM, who are experiencing sexual dysfunction from prostate cancer treatment side effects.

Keywords: Bisexual; Gay; MSM; Prostate cancer; Relationship; Scale; Sexual dysfunction.

Publication types

Review