DefinePK

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
To determine the frequency of sexual dysfunction (decreased libido and premature ejaculation) in patients using cannabis.
METHODOLOGY
A Cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Psychiatry, Medical Teaching Institute, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, on 329 patients using cannabis. The mean age of the patients was 30.08 (6.41) years. The mean duration of cannabis use was 299.24 (138.23) weeks. 'The Arizona Sexual Experience Scale’ (ASEX, 2020) was utilized to measure the frequency of sexual dysfunction among those users, having scores from 5-30 and higher scores indicating more sexual dysfunction. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 28.0.
RESULTSThe frequency of sexual dysfunction in this study was 213 (64.7%). Among males, 206 individuals (96.7%) reported sexual dysfunction, whereas 107 individuals (92.2%) did not. In contrast, 7 females (3.3%) experienced sexual dysfunction, while 9 females (7.8%) did not. The p-value of 0.07 was near the threshold for significance, suggesting a possible link between gender and sexual dysfunction, with a higher prevalence observed in males. For individuals with less than 200 weeks of cannabis use, 67 (31.5%) reported sexual dysfunction, while 41 (35.3%) did not. Conversely, among those with more than 200 weeks of cannabis use, 146 individuals (68.5%) reported dysfunction, compared to 75 individuals (64.7%) who did not.
CONCLUSION
A significant proportion of cannabis users in this study experienced sexual dysfunction, highlighting a potential health concern associated with cannabis use.