Objective: To propose a practical, effective, and user-friendly tool for health care professionals to assess sexual problems among PwP.

Background: Sexual dysfunction (SD) is a common nonmotor symptom among persons with Parkinson’s disease (PwP), negatively impacting sexual satisfaction and quality of life. Effective assessment of SD is essential. Frequently, evaluation of sexual problems is performed by using validated long multiple-choice questionnaires, a challenging task for PwP, who cope with concentration problems and awkwardness in writing. Some of these assessment tools demand statistical analysis and calculation, which imposes a challenge on neurologists and other health care professionals (HCPs).

Method: 100 male and female PwP were asked anonymously to complete questionnaires regarding sociodemographic and medical data. Participants completed either the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) or the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Also, they completed a structured yes/no self-report questionnaire asking if they had any sexual problem at present (including desire, arousal, orgasm, pain).

Results: Significant correlations were found between self-report statements about having sexual problems and the results of the validated questionnaires. Female PwP without self-reported SD had better scores on FSFI (p<0.001), desire (p=0.06), lubrication (p<0.001) and orgasm (p=0.002). Male PwP without self-reported SD had better scores on sexual satisfaction (p=0.021) and desire (p=0.072).

Conclusion: This study highlights an especially important feature: the subjective self-report on the existence of sexual problems was significantly associated with the scores of the validated questionnaires (IIEF and FSFI) for both sexes. In practical terms, this means that HCPs can rely on the PwP’s answers regarding existence of any sexual problems in general as well as regarding problems with desire, arousal, lubrication, erection, or orgasm which can be considered as being highly reflective of their potential questionnaire findings. This raises the interesting possibility that reliable assessments of sexual function in PwP can be made by short well-directed interviews and thereby sparing the PwP’s efforts involved in filling out long questionnaires.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/subjective-self-report-on-sexual-problems-in-parkinsons-disease-is-reliable/