Androlife Campaign: andrologists and psychosexologists in team- premature ejaculation, the main sexual dysfunction diagnosed in young men
Androlife is the first Italian national campaign, supported by Italian Society of Andrology and Medical Sexology (SIAMS) aimed to: promote the primary prevention of the reproductive male tract pathologies, inform boys about the importance of controlling risk factors for male infertility, sensitize public awareness about male reproductive health, collect data on lifestyle, habits, and general health status in young males aged 18 to 35, and diagnose possible andrological pathologies.
Methods: The Androlife campaign has been organized in Italy since 2012. In Turin, an industrial city in the northern part of Italy, the campaign has been organized by a team of andrologists and clinical sexologists. This collaboration was intended to better understand the needs of young males and investigate their sexuality. The possibility to perform a free psychosexological consultation was offered to all patients.
Results: In 3 years, 256 young males underwent clinical andrological evaluation. The following previously unknown andrological disorders were detected: in 57 (22,2%) left or bilateral varicocele, 41 (16%) – past or present genito-urinary infections, 17 (6,6%) – reduced androgenization, 33 (13%) – premature ejaculation (PE), and 13 (5%) – erectile dysfunction. From these data, PE proved to be the most frequent sexual dysfunction in young males. Psychosexual interview confirmed PE diagnosis, due to psychological and psychosocial reasons.
Conclusions: A combined intervention by andrologists and clinical psychosexologists allowed young males to report and diagnose sexual dysfunctions: PE as a negative impact on sexual health and general wellbeing. PE, which is known to be the most prevalent, even if is under-diagnosed sexual dysfunction in the general population, proved to be the most frequent in young males too. The Androlife campaign allowed young males to report a likely sexual dysfunction. The possibility to undergo specific andrological and psychosexological evaluation proved to be one of the many useful and innovative keypoints of the Androlife campaign.
