(RxWiki News) Sexual activities are obviously quite different between homosexual and heterosexual men. A research study shows they also have different responses to the same hormone adjusting drug.
Researchers from Romania and the United States found that homosexual men with prostate cancer taking bicalutamide (Casodex) had profoundly different side effects than heterosexual men. This study was designed to observe whether this hormone treatment affected heterosexual and homosexual men in different ways. It was found that it does.
"Ask your doctor what to expect with Casodex treatment."
Ion G Motofei, PhD of Carol Davila University, Romania reports that Casodex is given to men with prostate cancer to stop their androgens (male hormones) from stimulating the growth of the cancer cells.
The study found that sexual functioning and satisfaction were diminished from 23 to 54 percent in the homosexual men in all six categories of interest in the study, while the heterosexual group of men reported only slight reductions of one to four percent in two of the six categories.
Co-author David L Rowland, PhD from Valparaiso University, Indiana adds that the results of the study suggest that androgens play a role in cerebral sexual processes including orgasm, sexual arousal and libido that these responses may be different in heterosexual and homosexual men.
Rowlands warns that one shouldn't underestimate the effect that androgens have on heterosexual men as well. It appears to be less in the homosexual men but it is still there.
Rowland's team from the USA and Motofei's team from Romania studied 17 heterosexual men and 12 homosexual men all on a 50mg daily dose of Casodex, which, prior to this study, was reported to have few side effects. The men were an average age of 61 and completed the International Index of Erectile Function questionaire.
The team found that homosexual men reported that their sexual performance and satisfaction more than halved in four of the six categories studied. Heterosexual men, on the other hand, reported fewer problems and were almost 50 percent more satisfied with intercourse.
The six categories are as follows:
- Overall sexual function remained the same for the heterosexual men but dropped by almost 50 percent for the homosexual men. Erectile function for both groups averaged around 25/30 before treatment. After treatment, the heterosexual group fell only slightly to 24.1/30 while the homosexual group fell by 51 percent to 12.1/30.
- Orgasm functioning was recorded at a similar score for both groups at around 7/10. After treatment, the heterosexual group remained the same while the homosexual group fell by a dizzying 54 percent to 3.3. Sexual desire was 6.5/10 for the heterosexual group and 7.6/10 for the homosexual group. The heterosexual group increased to 7.5/10 while the homosexual group again dropped by 51 percent to 3.7/10.
- Intercourse satisfaction was measured at 7.1/15 for the heterosexual group and 8.0/15 for the homosexual group. Heterosexual group increased by 45 percent to 10.3/15 after treatment while the homosexual group fell by 23 percent to 6.2/15. Overall satisfaction had the groups pretreatment at both around 7/10. The heterosexual group did fall very little by 0.1 but the homosexual group fell by 52 percent to 3.4/10
- Motofei and Rowland are establishing a new theory on psychosexual cerebral dualism. They believe that this new dual concept can change the fundamental bases of psychiatry, psychology and sexuality, and open new avenues for therapies addressing human mental and sexual disturbances.
This study will be published in the July 2011 British Journal of Urology.
