My Thing Is Dead: Experience of Dealing with Diabetic Erectile Dysfunction of Northern Thai Men
Keywords:
Diabetes mellitus, Disease management, Erectile dysfunction, Experience, Men, Qualitative DescriptiveAbstract
Diabetic erectile dysfunction is a common complication affecting men who are living with diabetes mellitus. However, there is a lack of understanding of the experience of men in dealing with this condition in Thailand. This qualitative descriptive study explored the experiences of 15 Thai men in dealing with diabetic erectile dysfunction. They were receiving care in a northern Thailand hospital and were chosen purposefully. In-depth interviews were conducted between December 2016 and December 2017. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach.
Five themes emerged regarding the participants dealing with their condition: Loss of manhood; Embarrassing to disclose; A little relief from medicines; Trying to please a partner, and Getting over it and acceptin. Losing of erectile function caused some men to lose their strength and confidence. They tried different ways to gain an erection to please their partner. However, they had little success in restoring their erectile ability. Some of them learnt to live with their condition. The findings highlight the need to create a supportive environment to encourage men’s self–disclosure and decrease embarrassment. Nurses can design a program for addressing and helping men get over an erectile dysfunction due to diabetes. An essential recommendation is to assess and care for sexual problems as part of routine care for men with diabetes.
References
Anwar Z, Sinha V, Mitra S, Mishra AK, Ansari MH, Bharti A, et al. Erectile dysfunction: an underestimated presentation in patients with diabetes mellitus. Indian J Psychol Med. 2017;39(5):600-4. doi:10.4103/0253-7176.217015.
Hackett GI. Erectile dysfunction, diabetes, and cardiovascular risk. British J Diabetes. 2016; 16(2):52-7.
Jumani DK, Patil O. Erectile dysfunction in diabetes mellitus: a review. J Diabetol. 2020;11(1):1-7. doi:10.4103/ jod.jod_42_18.
Henninger S, Höhn C, Leiber C, Berner MM. Treatment expectations of men with ED and their female partners: an exploratory qualitative study based on grounded theory. Int J Impot Res. 2015;27(5):167–72.
Schover LR. Managing erectile dysfunction after cancer: more than penile rigidity. J Oncol Pract. 2016;12(4): 307-8.
Wentzell E. Masculinity and emotion in Mexican mens’ understanding of erectile dysfuncion atiology and treatment. Cult Health Sex. 2014;16(2):164-77.
Malavige LS, Jayaratne SD, Kathriarachchi ST, Sivayogan S, Ranasinghe P, Levy JC. Erectile dysfunction is a strong predictor of poor quality of life in men with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Diabet Med. 2014;31(6):699-706.
Walsh TJ, Hotaling JM, Smith A, Saigal C, Wessells H. Men with diabetes may require more aggressive treatment for erectile dysfunction. Int J Impot Res. 2014;26(3): 112-5.
Asmara K, Hengky MM, Agustanti F, Tampubolon HP. Erectile dysfunction and health related quality of life in elderly males. Univ Med. 2011;30(3):182-8.
Ibrahim A, Ali M, Kiernan TJ, Stack AG. Erectile dysfunction and ischemic heart disease. Eur Cardiol. 2018;13(2):98-103. doi:10.15420/ecr.2017.21.3.
Gilbert E, Usshera JM, Perza J, Wonga T, Hobbsb K, Mason C. Men’s experiences of sexuality after cancer: a material discursive intra-psychic approach. Cult Health Sex. 2013;15(8):881-95.
Tabosa A, de Oliveira DC, Stangler VH, Araujo H, Nunes V, Gadelha MI, et al. Association between erectile dysfunction and quality of life in patients with coronary artery disease. Int J Cardiovasc Sci. 2017;30(3):219-26. doi:10.5935/ 2359-4802.20170042.
Chambers SK, Chung E, Wittert G, Hyde MK. Erectile dysfunction, masculinity, and psychological outcomes: a review of the experiences of men after prostate cancer treatment. Transl Androl Urol. 2017;6(1):60-8. doi:10. 21037/tau.2016.08.12.
McGraw SA, Rosen RC, Althof SE, Dunn M, Cameron A, Wong D. Perceptions of erectile dysfunction and phospgodiesterase type 5 inhibitor therapy in a qualitative study of men and women in affected relationships. J Sex Marital Ther. 2015;41(2):203-20.
Akre C, Michaud P, Suris J. “I’ll look it up on the Web first”: barriers and overcoming barriers to consult for sexual dysfunction among young men. Swiss Med Wkly. 2010; 140(23-24): 348-53.
Eduardo A, Napoleao AA, Carvalho E. Nursing intervention for patients with erectile dysfunction after radical prostatectomy: integrative review. Enfermeria Global. 2016;15(2): 456-71.
Gökçe MI, Yaman O. Erectile dysfunction in the elderly male. Turk J Urol. 2017;43(3): 247-51.
Defillipo C, editor. Perpetuating inequality: homosociality, sexuality, and gendered power structures in Northern Thailand. Proceeding of the 13th International Conference on Thai Studies Globalized Thailand: Connectivity, Conflict and Conundrums of Thai Studies; 2017 Jul 15-18; Chiang Mai, Thailand. Chiang Mai: Chiang Mai University; 2017.
Sirait I, Setiawan S, Tarigan R. The experience of type 2 diabetes mellitus male patients who undergo sexual dysfunction. Int J Nurs Health Serv. 2019;2(3):116-23. doi:10.35654/ijnhs.v2i3.211.
Rutte A, Welschen LMC, van Splunter MMI, Schalkwijk AAH. Type 2 diabetes patients’ needs and preferences for care concerning sexual problems: a cross-sectional survey and qualitative interviews. J sex Marital Ther. 2016;42(4): 324-37. doi:10.1080/0092623X.2015.1033578.
Jowett A, Peel E, Shaw RL. Sex and diabetes: a thematic analysis of gay and bisexual men’s accounts. J Health Psychol. 2012; 17(3):409-18. doi:10.1177/1359105311412838.
Dan A, Chakraborty K, Mondal M, Neogi R, Chatterjee S, Makhal M. Erectile dysfunction in patients with diabetes mellitus: its magnitudes, predictors and their bio-psycho-social interaction: a study from a developing country. Asian J Psychiatr. 2014;7(1):58-65.
Kamenov ZA. A comprehensive review of erectile dysfunction in men with diabetes. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes. 2015; 123(3):141-58.
Hatzimouratidis K, Hatzichristou D. How to treat erectile dysfunction in men with diabetes: from pathophysiology to treatment. Curr Diab Rep. 2014;14(11):545.
Asmara K, Hengky MM, Agustanti F, Tampubolon HP. Erectile dysfunction and health-related quality of life in elderly males. Univ Med. 2011;30(3):182-8.
Gilbert E, Usshera JM, Perza J, Wonga T, Hobbsb K, Mason C. Men’s experiences of sexuality after cancer: a material discursive intra-psychic approach. Cult Health Sex. 2013;15(8):881-95.
Moreau C, Kågesten AE, Blum RW. Sexual dysfunction among youth: an overlooked sexual health concern. BMC Public Health. 2016;16(1170):1-10.
Thompson EHJ, Barnes K. Meaning of sexual performance among men with and without erectile dysfunction.Psychol Men Masc. 2013;14(3):271–80. doi:10.1037/a0029104.
Wentzell E. Masculinity and emotion in Mexican men's understandings of erectile dysfunction aetiology and treatment. Cult Health Sex. 2014;16(2):164-77. doi:10.1080/ 13691058.2013.854409.
Occhipinti S, Laurie K, Hyde MK, Martin S, Oliffe J, Wittert G, Chambers SK. Measuring masculinity in men with chronic disease. Am J Mens Health. 2019;13(4):1-7. doi:10.1177/1557988319859706.
Permpongkosol S. How sex is important for men. 2018 [cited 2019 Feb 7]. Available from: https://www.dailynews. co.th/article/630842
Phunikhom K, Tiamkao S, Pranboon S, Tiamkao S. Sexual function in Thai males with epilepsy. J Med Assoc Thai. 2019;102(4):12-8.
Lambert VA, Lambert CE. Qualitative descriptive research: an acceptable design. Pacific Rim Int J of Nurs Res. 2012; 16(4):255-6.
Cappelleri JC, Tseng LJ, Luo X, Stecher V, Lue TF. Simplified interpretation of the erectile function domain of the International Index of Erectile Function. J Sex Med. 2016;13(4): 690-6.
Braun V. Clarke V. Thematic analysis. In: Teo T, editor. Encyclopedia of critical psychology. New York: Springer; 2014.pp.1947-52.
Saisuwan P. Male femininity in Thai among men who identity with non-normative male roles (Doctoral dissertation, Queen Mary University of London). 2016 [cited 2019 February 9]. Available from: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/bitstream/ handle/123456789/12927/Saisuwan_Pavadee_PhD_ Final_240316.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Cooper S, Leon N, Namadnigo H, Bobrow K, Farmer AJ. "My wife’s mistrust. That’s the saddest part of being a diabetic": a qualitative study of sexual well-being in men with type 2 diabetes in sub Saharan Africa. PLoS ONE. 2018;13(9):1-17. doi.10.1371/journal.pone. 0202413.
Albaugh JA, Sufrin N, Lapin BR, Petkewicz J, Tenfelde S. Life after prostate cancer treatment: a mixed methods study of the experiences of men with sexual dysfunction and their partners. BMC Urol. 2017;17(1):1-9.
Laursan BS. Sexuality in men after prostate cancer surgery: a qualitative interview study. Scand J Caring Sci. 2017; 31:120-7.
Muhalla H. How diabetic men perceived sex and sexual dysfunction. Indian J Public Health Res Dev. 2019; 10(8):2616-20.doi:10.5958/0976-5506.2019. 02388.X.
Wassersug RJ, Westle A, Dowsett GW. Men’s sexual and relational adaptations to erectile dysfunction after prostate cancer treatment. Int J of Sexual Health. 2017;29(1):69-79.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright: The Pacific Rim International Journal of Nursing Research, Thailand Nursing & Midwifery Council has exclusive rights to publish, reproduce and distribute the manuscript and all contents therein.
.png)
