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Clinical Trial
. 2007 Mar;68(3):361-7.
doi: 10.4088/jcp.v68n0302.

Sexual function and gonadal hormones in patients taking antipsychotic treatment for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder

Oliver D Howes  1 , Michael J Wheeler, Lyn S Pilowsky, Sabine Landau, Robin M Murray, Shubulade Smith
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Sexual function and gonadal hormones in patients taking antipsychotic treatment for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder

Oliver D Howes et al. J Clin Psychiatry. 2007 Mar.

Abstract

Objective: To determine rates of sexual dysfunction and hypogonadism and establish the relationship between gonadal hormone levels and sexual function in patients taking antipsychotic treatment for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.

Method: We studied 103 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (mean age = 46.2 (SD = 12.9) years; 51.5% male) from October 2003 through March 2005. Sexual function was assessed using the Sexual Functioning Questionnaire (SFQ) and compared with (1) normal controls (N = 62; mean age = 36.1 (SD = 9.6) years; 55% male) recruited from primary care attendees and (2) sexually dysfunctional controls recruited from a local sexual dysfunction clinic (N = 57; mean age = 39.1 (SD = 10.7) years; 79% male). Prolactin, sex hormone-binding globulin, testosterone, estradiol, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone levels; psychopathology; and side effects were measured.

Results: Mean (SD) total SFQ scores were significantly greater in patients (women = 9.9 [5.3]; men = 7.8 [4.9]) compared with normal controls (women = 4.1 [2.9]; men = 4.09 [2.95]), and similar to the scores of sexual dysfunction clinic attendees (women = 7.2 [2.9]; men = 9.9 [4.5]). The odds ratios of patients having sexual dysfunction compared with normal controls were 15.2 for women and 3.7 for men. Hypogonadism was common (in premenopausal women, 79% showed hypoestrogenism and 92% showed low progesterone levels, and 28% of men showed hypotestosteronism). There was no association between total SFQ scores and prolactin or gonadal hormone levels.

Conclusion: Patients receiving treatment for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder show high rates of sexual dysfunction and hypogonadism. Sexual functioning was not related to prolactin or gonadal hormone levels.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Sexual function (mean SFQ (SD)) in patients taking antipsychotics, healthy controls, and sexual dysfunction controls
Higher SFQ score indicates greater dysfunction. Compared to healthy controls patients show significantly greater (*p<0.01) sexual dysfunction across all domains except arousal (female) and ejaculatory function (male), and similar SFQ scores to sexual dysfunction controls
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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