Changes in sexual function in epileptics

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted on forty epileptic patients, twenty with generalized tonic-clonic seizures, twenty with complex partial seizures and twenty controls. All patients were examined clinically, including detailed information concerning their sexual functions, [libidinous feelings, erotic fantasies, frequency of arousal and orgasm]. It was found that hyposexuality is significantly more common in epileptics compared to the controls and in complex partial seizure patients compared to generalized tonic-clonic seizure patients. The commonest pattern encountered was found to be an impaired erection but a normal libido. In this study hyposexuality was seen to be more common when the age of onset of illness occurred before puberty, and thus being of long duration. Frequency of fits and regimen of therapy has no significant correlation