An online questionnaire survey on the sexual life and sexual function of Chinese adult males during the COVID-19 epidemic

Abstract Background There has been no report regarding the impact on male sexual life or sexual function by changes in lifestyle during the COVID-19 epidemic. Aim To investigate the changes in sexual life and sexual function of Chinese men during the COVID-19 epidemic. Methods An online questionnaire was created and the survey was administered through social media to Chinese adult men. The main end point was the deteriorated erectile function or ejaculatory control ability, defined by self-evaluation or by decreased International Index of Erectile Function -5 items (IIEF-5) scores or increased premature ejaculation diagnostic tool (PEDT) scores. Results Altogether, 612 questionnaires were collected. 322 (52.6%) subjects were unmarried. 8.4% and 8.5% subjects reported deteriorated erectile function or ejaculation control ability by self-evaluation, while 31.9% and 17.9% subjects showed decreased IIEF-5 scores or increased PEDT scores. Subjects with deteriorated erectile function by self-evaluation and decreased IIEF-5 scores had higher general anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7) (P Conclusion During the COVID-19 epidemic, decreased sexual function was present in a certain proportion of adult men, and the risk factors include increased anxiety and depression, and decreased frequency of sexual life.