An assessment of erectile dysfunction among male diabetics attending Temba Community Health Centre, Pretoria

Introduction: Erectile dysfunction is common among men with diabetic mellitus and has a negative effect on their quality of life. The proportion of male diabetics who disclosed their problematic sexual performance was increasing at Temba Community Health Centre (CHC), which motivated a survey that was conducted from April 2015 till April 2016. Aim: Assessment of erectile dysfunction among male diabetics attending Temba Community Health Centre. Setting: Temba Community Health Centre, Pretoria, South Africa. Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a piloted, structured questionnaire adapted from the International Index of Erectile dysfunction (IIRF-5) questionnaire. Convenience sampling was used to select 191 participants. Result: From the selected sample, 97.3% of male diabetics were suffering from erectile dysfunction. Among them, 120 (62.8%) were between 41 and 60 years of age, 96 (50.2%) were employed, 81 (42.4%) had a secondary level of education and 84 (44.4%) were married. The duration of diagnosed diabetes varied between 2 months and 564 months (42 years). Hypertension and HIV, as co-morbidities, affected 12.7% of the participants and 56% of participants consulted primarily for erectile dysfunction, not knowing that it was a complication of diabetes mellitus. Conclusion: The assessment of erectile dysfunction among male diabetics attending Temba CHC in Pretoria showed that more than two-thirds of the selected sample of patients suffered from erectile dysfunction, from a mild to a severe form of the condition. Most of those participating were between 41 and 60 years old, half of them were married, have a secondary level of education and were unaware that erectile dysfunction is a complication of diabetes mellitus.