Sexual function and sexual quality of life in men with genital warts: a cross-sectional study

Background Human papillomavirus is the most common sexually transmitted infection, usually passing from one person to another after the first sexual activity. Infection with this virus and the occurrence of genital warts (GWs) could have several effects on patients' health. This study was performed to evaluate the sexual function and sexual quality of life (SQOL) in men with GWs. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2019 to March 2020 with a sample size of 105 men with GWs in the dermatology clinic of Shahid Faghihi Hospital in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), and the Sexual Quality of Life-Men (SQOL-M) questionnaires and analyzed by descriptive and inferential tests with SPSS software version 22. Results The mean score for overall sexual function in men was 48.50 +/- 8.89. About 35.2% of men had overall sexual dysfunction (SD). The highest disorder rate was related to the erection domain (85.7%), and the lowest was related to the desire domain (5.7%). In the erection domain, most men (54.3%) experienced mild to moderate erectile dysfunction. The mean score for SQOL-M was 38.36 +/- 14.47, and 56.2% of them had a good SQOL. Conclusions GWs affected men's erection more than the other sexual function domains. SD in men with GWs has a significant impact on their SQOL and ED was associated with impaired SQOL. Therefore, it is recommended to pay more attention to SD screening alongside SQOL assessment of men with GW. Plain language summary Human papillomavirus is the most common sexually transmitted infection. Infection with this virus and the occurrence of genital warts (GWs) could have several effects on men and women's health. In this cross-sectional study, we examined the sexual function and sexual quality of life (SQOL) in men with GWs. Of the 105 men, 35.2% had sexual dysfunction (SD). The highest disorder rate was related to the erection domain (85.7%), and the lowest was related to the desire domain (5.7%). In the erection domain, most men (54.3%) experienced mild to moderate erectile dysfunction. 56.2% of them had a good SQOL. SD in men with GWs has a significant impact on their SQOL. Therefore, it is recommended that assessment of sexual function and SQOL should be done when men with GWs refer to health services.