Objectives: To evaluate in a pooled analysis of multiple studies the perceptions of effectiveness and overall treatment satisfaction in the partners of patients who received sildenafil citrate for treatment of erectile dysfunction. Partner satisfaction with treatment of erectile dysfunction can have a substantial impact on the continuation of therapy.
Methods: Each partner rated the man's erectile function and her own intercourse satisfaction by responding to three appropriately modified questions from the International Index of Erectile Function, assessing frequency of erections, ability to maintain erections, and satisfaction of intercourse in 14 double-blind placebo-controlled trials of sildenafil. Partner satisfaction with sildenafil treatment was evaluated using the Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction partner questionnaire in six of these trials.
Results: Of 3634 patients enrolled in these 14 trials, the partners of 930 patients agreed to participate. The partners reported that men receiving sildenafil had significantly greater erection frequency and ability to maintain erections than men receiving placebo, irrespective of patient age. Partners of sildenafil-treated men also had more frequent intercourse satisfaction compared with partners of placebo-treated men (P <0.0001). In both treatment groups, the partner and patient responses correlated highly (P <0.0001). The correlation between patient and partner Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction index scores was 0.80 for placebo and 0.86 for sildenafil (P <0.0001).
Conclusions: Partner evaluations corroborated the patient assessments, with both indicating that treatment with sildenafil resulted in statistically significant improvement in erectile function and suggesting that partners were satisfied with sildenafil treatment for erectile dysfunction.