Sexuality in persons with lower extremity amputations

Purpose : There is a paucity of information regarding sexual functioning in persons with lower extremity amputations. The purpose of this study was to describe sexual and psychological functioning and health status in persons with lower extremity amputation. Methods : Self-report surveys assessed sexual functioning (Derogatis Inventory), depression (Beck Depression Inventory, anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), and health status (Health Status Questionnaire) in a convenience sample of 30 men with lower extremity amputations. Mean age of the participants was 57 years (range 32-79). Mean duration since amputation was 23 months (range 3-634 months). Twenty one subjects (70%) had trans-tibial and seven subjects (23%) had trans-femoral amputations. Results : A majority of subjects were experiencing problems in several domains of sexual functioning. Fifty three percent ( n = 16) of the subjects were engaged in sexual intercourse or oral sex at least once a month. Twenty seven percent ( n = 8) were masturbating at least once a month. Nineteen subjects (63%) reported orgasmic problems and 67% were experiencing erectile difficulties. Despite these problems, interest in sex was high in over 90% of the subjects. There was no evidence of increased prevalence of depression or anxiety in these subjects when compared to other outpatient adult populations. Conclusions : Sexual problems were common in the subjects studied. Despite these problems, interest in sex remained high. Few investigations have been directed toward identifying the psychological and social factors that may contribute to these problems and more research with a larger population is needed in this area.