Testosterone Is Poorly Related to Erectile Dysfunction in Young and Middle-Aged HIV-Infected Men

The study, conducted 6 years ago, investigated the relationship between sexual function and testosterone deficiency in 233 HIV-infected men undergoing Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART). The researchers used the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-15) and testosterone levels measured by Liquid Chromatography-tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The results showed that 3.4% of the patients had total testosterone levels below 300 ng/dl, while 61.5% had erectile dysfunction (ED). The study found no significant differences in age, hormonal data, and duration of HIV-infection and HAART among groups of patients according to the degree of ED. However, the duration of HIV infection was significantly higher in men with severe ED compared to mild ED. The study concluded that erectile function in HIV-infected men is not associated with serum testosterone levels or influenced by testosterone and HAART, but is influenced by the duration of HIV infection.