Sexual Activities, Desire, and Sensations in Paraplegic and Tetraplegic Men and Women.

Sexual Activities, Desire, and Sensations in Paraplegic and Tetraplegic Men and Women, Catherine Mathieu, Institut de Readaptation de Montreal; Frederique Courtois, Universite du Quebec a Montreal; Luc Noreau, Institut de Readaptation en Deficience Physique de Quebec

As part of a survey on aging in the spinal cord-injured population, we investigated the quality of sexual life of 227 tetraplegic and paraplegic men and women. The data showed that 60% of the participants were engaged in a stable relationship, which lasted for the most part (51.5%) for more than 3 years and which had begun either before (32%) or after (30%) the trauma. Of the total participants, 86% reported having desire, and 60% reported regular sexual relationships, with a frequency varying from 2 to 3 times a week (19%), one a week (17%), once a month (15%), and less than once a month (19%). Almost half (49%) of participants reported having reflexogenic erection or lubrication, compared to 27% reporting psychogenic erection or lubrication, and 33% reported ejaculation or orgasm. In men, 30% relied on sexual medication, with 19% using Viagra, 3% to 6% using intracavernous injections, and less than 3% reporting orgasm or physical signs associated with orgasm, such as changes in heart rate (36%), respiration rate (29%), muscular contractions (27%), and cutaneous (17%) and autonomic (13%) responses. Sexual life is therefore a reality among spinally-injured men and women, and sensations of pleasure and orgasm should be investigated more often, as our studies suggest that sexual rehabilitation with biofeedback combined with cognitive restructuring may be an interesting avenue in sex therapy for spinally-injured patients.