Association between sexual disturbances and sexual hormones with specific antiretroviral drugs

Abstract

Sexual disturbances have been related to protease inhibitor therapy, but the effect of specific protease or non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors is largely unknown. We analysed the rate of sexual dysfunction and the sexual hormonal profile in patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy. All antiretroviral drugs were associated with different degrees of sexual dysfunction; the highest rates with indinavir and the lowest with nevirapine. Although these drugs were associated with increases in testosterone and 17 beta-oestradiol, sexual disturbances were not related to alterations in the sexual hormonal pattern.