Gender difference in impact of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic on sexual function

There is a paucity of research on the difference between men and women in the impact of mental health on sexual function during the coronavirus disease (COVID19) pandemic. This study aims to explore sexual function changes and the effects of mental health on sexual function during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data from a self-administered online questionnaire completed by 180 healthy Korean volunteers were analyzed. During the COVID-19 pandemic, women tended to be more vulnerable than men in all subscales of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21), except for the stress subscale (p < 0.001). Regarding sexual function, overall sexual function, including both the total International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) score and total Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) score, was lower during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic. All subscales of DASS-21 and total DASS21 scores were negatively correlated with total IIEF-5 and total FSFI score in men and women, respectively. On a multivariate analysis, the anxiety subscale of DASS-21 was an independent risk factor for decreased total IIEF-5 score in men (p < 0.05). Mental health during the pandemic has negatively influenced sexual function in both sexes. Particularly, anxiety was a significant risk factor for decreased erectile function in men during the pandemic.