Sexual problems in men are simpler to study because problems with erection and ejaculation associated with antihypertensive medication can be more easily measured, say the scientists. Not every man has a reaction to a given class of drugs and changing to a different medication may eliminate most adverse reactions. We tried to address those problems by designing a questionnaire that looked at both emotional and physiological aspects of sexual functioning. Essentially, all the work on the effects of antihypertensive drugs has been done on men and then generalized to women. The researchers, who stressed that their findings are preliminary, say this aspect of their research should be applied to men, namely, the importance of physicians asking about sexuality.
Sexuality is a very private thing.
People are quite often distraught and embarrassed about problems and are unlikely to bring them up to their physicians. It is the physician's role to ask the right questions and to make the patient feel safe enough to share painful information. Duncan realized the depth of the research gap in sexual function when she developed the survey questionnaire as part of her British medical degree in the late 1980s. Spurred by her discoveries, she decided to undertake the most thorough survey to date on the subject and won a E. Donnall Thomas research scholarship at Bassett Healthcare in rural upstate New York to carry out the work. AEDs also may enable airliners to avoid futile and costly diversions when stricken passengers can't be resuscitated.