https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8422-9686
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ABSTRACT
Alcohol use disorder affects various body systems and gives rise to sexual problems. Our aim in this qualitative study was to increase the visibility of the sexual problems and related life experiences of men receiving treatment at an Alcohol and Substance Dependency Treatment and Education Center (Turkish acronym, AMATEM) for alcohol use disorder. Methods: The study was conducted over the period February-April 2022 on the basis of a descriptive and phenomenological design; data were collected in semi-structured individual interviews held with the participants. Results: In-depth interviews were conducted with fifteen male patients of a mean age of 36.58 ± 6.25 who were being treated for a diagnosis of alcohol use disorder. We determined four ongoing themes in the study: perceptions of sexuality, difficulties in sexual relations, barriers to receiving medical support for sexual problems, and help-seeking behaviors. Conclusion: Our findings showed that the participants believed that sexuality was a need and that when they indulged in alcohol, they experienced a loss of libido, had problems in becoming aroused, had long-lasting problems with ejaculation, impotence, and difficulty with orgasm.
Author contributions
All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Havva GEZGİN YAZICI and Latife UTAŞ AKHAN. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Havva GEZGİN YAZICI and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Data availability statement
Qualitative data are available.