Effect of increased prolactin and psychosocial stress on erectile function

Abstract

Sexual dysfunctions in men are complex disorders that consist of organic and psychogenic components. The most common sexual dysfunction is erectile dysfunction. It is the inability to achieve or maintain an erection for satisfactory sexual performance. This disorder can be caused by high blood pressure, heart disease, vascular problems, psychological and hormonal factors such as problems with testosterone and prolactin levels. In this study, we tested the relationship between erectile dysfunction, hyperprolactinemia and psychosocial stress. Clinical examinations of 60 patients with erectile dysfunction, which also included psychosocial stress, focussed on patient history, comprehensive sexological examination, biochemical analyses of serum prolactin, total testosterone and thyroid‐stimulating hormone with psychometric evaluation of erectile function and a checklist of trauma symptoms (TSC‐40). The results show significant Spearman correlations of psychometric evaluation of erectile function with prolactin (R = .50) and results of the trauma checklist score (R = .55) and significant Spearman correlations between TSC‐40 and prolactin (R = .52). This result indicates a significant relationship between erectile dysfunction, hyperprolactinemia and stress symptoms in men.