Sexual dysfunction care needs of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men living with HIV in Montreal, Canada

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Marglet

Sexual dysfunction (SD) is common among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM) living with HIV, but their views on SD care remain poorly understood. Semi-structured interviews in 2024 with 31 Montreal-based GBM with HIV explored SD care experiences and preferences for issues such as reduced libido, erectile dysfunction, ejaculation changes, and sexual pain. Thematic analysis identified preferences and perceived limitations, including medication tradeoffs, mixed psychotherapy views, and barriers to help-seeking.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

DOI: 10.1111/hiv.70115 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Sexual dysfunction care needs of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men living with HIV in Montreal, Canada Francesco Avallone 1,2 | Kim Engler 1 | Ford Hickson 3 | Joseph Cox 1,4,5 | Eric Fortin 6 | Sean Yaphe 2,4,7 | Bertrand Lebouché 1,2,4 1Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, The Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 2Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 3Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK 4Chronic Viral Illness Service, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 5Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 6COCQ-SIDA (Coalition des organismes communautaires québécois de lutte contre le VIH/sida), Montreal, Quebec, Canada 7Clinique L'Actuel, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Correspondence Bertrand Lebouché, Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, The Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. [Email:](Email: bertrand.lebouche@mcgill.ca)[ bertrand.lebouche@mcgill.ca](Email: bertrand.lebouche@mcgill.ca) Funding information Fonds de Recherche du Québec-Santé, Grant/Award Numbers: 329804, 311200; Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research, Grant/Award Number: 32-142; Quebec's Ministry of Health Abstract Objectives: Sexual dysfunction (SD) is common among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBM) with HIV, yet little is known about their views on SD care. We explored these views to inform patient-centred SD care to improve care delivery and sexual health outcomes. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2024 with 31 Montreal-based GBM with HIV who experienced SD in the last 5 years (reduced libido, erectile dysfunction, premature/delayed ejaculation and/or pain during sex), covering SD care experiences and preferences. Thematic analysis was applied to interview transcripts. Results: Participants mostly reported reduced libido (83.9%) and erectile dysfunction (ED(80.6%), with over half (58.0%) experiencing multiple SDs concurrently. Themes regarding SD care experiences were (1) costs and benefits of ED medication,(2) limited benefits of testosterone replacement therapy,(3) mixed views on talk therapy (and a preference for group therapy), and (4) not seeking care due to questions of SD definition and normalcy. SD care preferences concerned both provider characteristics (identity, approach to patients and expertise) and care delivery (information provision, involvement and respect and access to diverse resources) . This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes. © 2025 The Author(s) . HIV Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British HIV Association. INTRODUCTION Conclusions: Irrespective of the approach to SD care sought (medication or talk therapy), participants experienced limited success. For some, doubts about the severity of their SD impeded help-seeking. SD care preferences for the provider (e.g., expertise) and care provided (e.g., information, patient involvement) offer paths to more patient-centred care. KEYWOR DS LGBT, qualitative research, queer, sexual problems, sexuality with HIV in high-income countries, SD is one of the least addressed concerns [8] . Little is thus known of SD care Male sexual dysfunction (SD) encompasses difficulties affecting the sexual response, such as reduced libido, erectil

FAQs

What SD care experiences and preferences were explored in Montreal-based GBM with HIV?

The study examined SD care experiences and preferences, focusing on reduced libido, erectile dysfunction, ejaculation changes, and pain during sex experienced over the previous five years.

Which SD treatments and approaches did participants discuss most?

Participants reported themes about erectile dysfunction medication costs and benefits, limited perceived benefits of testosterone replacement therapy, and mixed views on talk therapy with a preference for group therapy.

Why did some participants not seek SD care?

Some participants delayed or avoided care due to questions about how SD should be defined and whether their symptoms were normal or severe.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Marglet