December 29, 2025

@michaelokun

Parkinson’s disease and male sexual health, do you know the neural pathways underpinning the dysfunction? Sexual dysfunction refers to changes in desire arousal, orgasm, ejaculation, pain or physical intimacy that interfere w/ satisfying sexual activity. Rafetto and colleagues describe in a new paper in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease a practical road map for evaluating and managing male sexual dysfunction in Parkinson’s. Key Points: - Sexual dysfunction is a frequent, however under-recognized non-motor feature of Parkinson’s disease that affects quality of life for patients and partners. -Erectile dysfunction, low libido, ejaculatory disorders and medication related hypersexuality can all occur and are frequently multifactorial. - A structured approach that includes history psychosexual evaluation, lifestyle changes and stepwise treatment can meaningfully improve care. My Take: It is time for clinicians to start discussing sexual health openly w/ persons who have Parkinson’s. Here are 5 points that resonated w/ me: 1- Sexual health is part of brain health and Parkinson’s can disrupt it in many critical ways. 2- Folks may experience reduced desire, erection problems, delayed or rapid ejaculation or changes in intimacy. 3- Medications used to treat Parkinson’s disease can sometimes worsen or trigger sexual symptoms and should be reviewed at clinic visits. 4- Lifestyle factors like sleep, exercise, stress and mood frequently influence sexual function. 5- Open conversations w/ health care providers can lead to practical solutions and better quality of life https://cutt.ly/OtfIo0zH #michaelokun #parkinson #fixelinstitute