The minority of young adult men with sexual disorders seek medical treatment

Introduction. The Israel Defense Force (IDF) conducts screening examinations of military personnel aimed at early detection of morbidities, including erectile dysfunction (ED) and other sexual disorders (SDs). Men with SDs are referred to the IDF's sex clinic for consultation. Aim. We present the long-term compliance of military men with SDs to the screening program. Main Outcome Measures. We investigated how many men screened for ED and other SDs turned to the IDF's sex clinic for consultation. Methods. Subjects 25-50 years old performed screening examinations at the Staff Periodic Examination Center. The Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) questionnaire was used to categorize ED. The IDF's sex clinic records were investigated. Results. During 2001-2003, 5,836 men completed the SHIM questionnaire. Overall, 1,570 (26.9%) men had low SHIM scores suggesting ED and other SDs. Although only 76 (4.8%) of these men turned to the IDF's sex clinic over these years, more men conferred with the IDF's sexologist every year, and more men were referred by their primary-care physicians to the IDF's sex clinic regardless of their SHIM score. Conclusions. Screening for SDs in young adult men is not enough; encouraging young adult men screened for SDs to turn to a sex clinic for evaluation is the true challenge. Nevertheless, adding a sexual questionnaire to screening examinations may raise the awareness of sexual issues in both the patients and their primary-care physicians.