The effect of positive airway treatment in women with sleep disordered breathing on the sexual and mental wellbeing of their male partners.

AIM

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects on the sex life of male partners of female patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) who received positive airway pressure (PAP) treatment.

METHODS

This prospective study included the male partners of 31 female premenopausal or perimenopausal patients who presented at the sleep laboratory of two different hospitals, were diagnosed with OSAS, and then underwent PAP treatment. The mean age of the cases included in the study was calculated to be 47.68 ± 6.05 years (range, 37-55 years). Analyses were made of the sociodemographic characteristics of the study participants (age, gender, body mass index [BMI]) and the presence of risk factor diseases. The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were applied to the male partners of the females with OSAS both before and after the PAP treatment. Correlations between the pre and post-treatment measurements were evaluated statistically.

RESULTS

The mean IIEF score of the male partners of the female OSAS patients after PAP was determined to be 62.61 ± 11.88, and a total 7.77 ± 9.87 unit increase was found to be statistically significant (p = 0.001; p < 0.01). A statistically significant decrease was observed in the BDI scores after PAP treatment (p = 0.001; p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The study results showed an increase in the IIEF scores and a decrease in the BDI scores of the male partners of female patients with OSAS who were treated with PAP. Thus it was shown that the sexual dysfunction and depression that can develop in the male partners of females diagnosed with OSAS can be corrected with PAP treatment.