Neurovegetative and Psychogenic Sexual Health Disorders in Military Personnel with Combat-Related Trauma

Purpose: to determine the characteristics of erectile dysfunction in men with combat trauma compared to the course of erectile dysfunction accompanied by post-traumatic stress disorder. Materials and Methods. The work was based on the results of a survey of 298 men injured as a result of combat operations, using the International Index of Erectile Function-15 questionnaires and the DSM-5 disease classifier for diagnosing post-traumatic stress disorder. The study group was divided into two: men without PTSD (group 1), men with PTSD (group 2). Each group was divided into two subgroups: subgroup 1.1 – men aged 20–39 years without PTSD, subgroup 1.2 – men aged 40–53 years without PTSD, subgroup 2.1 – men aged 20–39 years with PTSD, subgroup 2.2 – men aged 40–53 years with PTSD. Results. It was found that the total score on the IIEF-15 scale in subgroup 1.1 was 20.43, which corresponds to a moderate form of ED, and in subgroup 2.1 this score was 17.21, i.e. it was 1.2 times lower, but also corresponded to a moderate form of ED. In subgroup 1.2 the average score was 17.75, which was 1.3 times higher than in subgroup 2.2. Only in men of subgroup 2.2 who suffered as a result of hostilities and were diagnosed with PTSD the total score was 13.96±0.15, which corresponded to a moderate form of severity. Conclusions. The study demonstrated that veterans with combat-related PTSD demonstrated a significantly higher prevalence of sexual difficulties in all functional domains compared with combatants with combat trauma but without PTSD. The total score on the IIEF-15 was lowest among men aged 40–53 years with combat trauma and comorbid PTSD (subgroup 2.2).