Abstract
Sexual dysfunction is frequent in patients with schizophrenia, it is reported as one of the most distressing antipsychotic's adverse effects and it is directly related to treatment compliance, sexual dysfunction in male schizophrenic patients studied in sex clinic at Al –Rashad mental hospital between 2010–2011, a subject seldom touched the in field of psychiatry in Iraq before.
To assess and find out the impact of illness on Sexuality in persons with schizophrenia.
Patients and methods: Using DSM4-TR and ASEX scale questionnaires for 50 participants from out 120 patient's sex clinic, collected and studied.
The majority of our sample was in the age range (18–62 y) with mean 44y, with no or limited educational level, illiterates 18%, and primary school 56%and low socioeconomic status 82% while mid 16%, about 76% unemployed and 24% were employed, 48%of the sample used first generation antipsychotic and 28% used second generation and 24%used antipsychotic with antidepressants, regarding type of sexual dysfunction :desire disorder 20%, arousal disorder 22%, erectile disorder and orgasm disorder both 26%.
Sexual dysfunction in schizophrenics is rather common though shadowed in our community for cultural, religious reasons and stigma of schizophrenia itself, so that evaluating sexual dysfunction should be routinely inquired from patients with schizophrenia receiving antipsychotics medication during follow up and dosage adjustment.