La pareja del hombre con disfunción eréctil: la opinión del médico de Atención Primaria acerca de su papel en el diagnóstico y el tratamiento de la disfunción eréctil en España

Objective: To analyse different aspects regarding integrating of women in the diagnosis and treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) in Spain. Material and method: Descriptive study to determine differences across Spain based on a survey administered to 544 Primary Care physicians that regularly treat patients with ED who provided their perception about aspects related to the diagnosis and treatment of ED. Questions about the role of women were included in the survey and are presented here. Questions were assessed using a continuous Likert scale from 1 to 7. Results: Fifty-two percent of the physicians had registered their patients' ED in the patient file. Overall prevalence of ED was 5.6%, with differences across autonomous communities (AACC). Men do not appear to share their problem with their partner frequently nor do they seek consultation prompted by their partner's request. The involvement of women in the diagnosis and treatment of the condition is low and shows significant differences among AACC. In 22.3% of visits, men come to the consultation office with their partner; in 67.2% of visits, men come for consultation alone; and in 10.5% it is the women that come alone. There are significant differences across AACC regarding these last 2 groups. Women usually encourage treatment rather than preventing it. Conclusions: The integration of women in the management of ED in Spain is low. It is necessary to educate both members of the couple on the importance of communication and joint participation in ED decision-making. (C) 2013 Asociacion Espanola de Andrologia, Medicina Sexual y Reproductiva. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.