Variations in the Number of Patients Presenting With Andrological Problems During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic and the Possible Reasons for These Variations: A Multicenter Study

Abstract

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused unprecedented restrictions in outpatient services and surgical practices in urology as in other medical branches as well as in all areas of life.

Aim: To investigate whether there have been variations in the presentations of male patients with sexual and reproductive health problems to the outpatient urology clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic and to understand the underlying factors for these variations, if any.

Methods: Male patients aged >= 18 years who presented to the outpatient urology clinics in 12 centers across Turkey from February 1, 2020 to June 1, 2020 were retrospectively evaluated. The patients were divided into 2 groups: those who presented to the outpatient clinic from February 1, 2020 to March 11, 2020 comprised the "pre-COVID-19 pandemic period" group, whereas those who presented to the outpatient clinic from March 12, 2020 to June 1, 2020 comprised the "COVID-19 pandemic period" group and compared with each other.

Main Outcome Measures: The main outcome of this study was the number and diagnose of patients presented to urology outpatient clinics.

Results: Andrological problems were detected in 721 of 4,955 male patients included in the study. During the COVID-19 pandemic period, there was a significant increase in andrological diagnosis in these patients compared with the pre-COVID-19 pandemic period (n = 293 [17%] vs n = 428 [13.2%], P < .001, respectively). Similarly, there was a statistically significant increase in the number of patients diagnosed with male reproductive or sexual health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic period (n = 107 [6.2%] vs n = 149 [4.6%], P = .016 and n = 186 [10.8%] vs n = 279 [8.6%], P = .013, respectively). The number of patients diagnosed with erectile dysfunction during the pandemic was also significantly higher than the pre-COVID-19 pandemic period (n = 150 [8.7%] vs n = 214 [6.6%], P = .008).

Conclusion: Presentations to the outpatient urology clinics owing to andrological problems markedly increased during the pandemic period. Although these problems are of multifactorial origin, psychogenic factors are also considered to significantly trigger these problems. Copyright (C) 2020, The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the International Society for Sexual Medicine.