Determination of Sexual Problems and Affecting Factors in Male Type 2 Diabetes Patients

The aim of this study was to determine sexual problems and influencing factors in male patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). It was a descriptive and cross-sectional study. The study included 256 male T2DM patients who presented to the Endocrinology Clinic and to the polyclinic of a Hospital between December 2023 and July 2025 and agreed to participate in the study. Data were collected using the Patient Introductory Form, the International Erectile Function Form-15 (IIEF-15), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire (DSMQ). Data were collected through face-to-face interviews after the patients who participated in the study were informed in the clinics and provided written informed consent. Data obtained in the study were analyzed using SPSS v.23 using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation) for numerical variables, Pearson correlation analysis to determine the relationship between variables, and multiple linear regression analysis for predictive analysis. 55.1% of participants reported that diabetes negatively impacted their sexual lives, while 71.1% reported a decrease in sexual desire and 71.9% in intercourse frequency. Anxiety and depression levels were within normal limits, while diabetes self-management was high and erectile dysfunction was moderate. Correlation analysis showed that as anxiety and depression levels increased, diabetes self-management decreased; and as diabetes self-management increased, erectile dysfunction levels also increased. Multiple regression analysis revealed that variables such as diabetes self-management, being married, not smoking, and regular checkups significantly predicted erectile dysfunction. The model explained 14.6% of the variance in erectile dysfunction. Consequently, it was recommended that psychological and social factors should be considered in diabetes management, and nurses should plan care accordingly.