Peyronie's Disease and the Female Sexual Partner: A Comparison of the Male and Female Experience.

BACKGROUND

Peyronie's disease (PD) is characterized by penile pain, deformity, and sexual dysfunction, often resulting in an impaired sexual experience and significant psychological bother for the patient. However, there are limited data on the impact of PD on female sexual partners (FSPs).

AIM

To compare the psychosexual experience of men with PD and their FSPs.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed all prospectively enrolled men and their FSPs who presented for initial PD evaluation to our sexual health clinic from July 2018 to February 2020. All men completed a PD-specific survey and the PD questionnaire (PDQ). If the patient was accompanied by an FSP during initial evaluation, she completed the PDQ for Female Sexual Partners and Female Sexual Function Index. We further queried our database that included information on patient demographics and clinical characteristics.

OUTCOMES

The main outcome of this study is retrospective comparison of responses with the PDQ and PDQ for Female Sexual Partners.

RESULTS

Data were available for 44 men with PD (median age, 56 years; interquartile range, 49-63) and their FSPs (median age, 54 years; interquartile range, 50-61). The majority of men presented in the chronic phase (35 of 44, 79.5%), and median objective composite curvature was 75° (interquartile range, 50-90°). Owing to PD, female and male partners reported similar difficulty with vaginal intercourse (VI) (74.3% vs 81.5%, P = .555), decreased frequency of VI (70.6% vs 85.2%, P = .228), and at least moderate discomfort/pain with VI (48.6% vs 33.3%, P = .232). FSPs were "very" or "extremely" bothered by the appearance of their partner's erect penis less often than male partners (20.0% vs 59.3%, P < .001). FSPs were "very" or "extremely" bothered by their partner's PD during VI less often than men with PD (32.3% vs 65.2%, P = .017). Few FSPs (22.9%) had "severe" or "very severe" concern with damaging their partner's penis during VI.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

The sexual experience for men with PD and their FSPs differs, thus emphasizing the importance of active engagement of both men with PD and FSP during initial PD evaluation.

STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS

This initial study draws data from a single, high-volume men's health clinic with a limited sample size. Survey responses may have been shared by patients with PD and their FSPs.

CONCLUSION

PD impacts the sexual experience for both men and FSPs. A similarly large proportion of men with PD and FSP noted decreased frequency of and difficulty with vaginal intercourse. Yet, FSPs were less bothered by the appearance of the erect penis and the deformity during VI compared with men. Farrell MR, Ziegelmann MJ, Bajic P, et al. Peyronie's Disease and the Female Sexual Partner: A Comparison of the Male and Female Experience. J Sex Med 2020;17:2456-2461.