Sexual Dysfunction, Depression and Quality of Life in Patients With HIV Infection

Objective: In Iran, psychological aspect of HIV infection is poorly understood. The purposes of this study were to evaluate sexual dysfunction, depression rate and health-related quality of life and evaluate the association between sexual dysfunction, depression and quality of life in a group of HIV+ subjects in Shiraz, Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 278 male HIV-positive patients who had referred to voluntary counseling and testing and methadone maintenance therapy centers were recruited based on convenience sampling from May to October 2010. The purpose of the study was explained and interested individuals provided informed consent and completed validated questionnaires [Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36), Brief Male Sexual Function Inventory (BMSFI), Beck Depression Inventory-short form(BDI)] to assess overall health related quality of life (HRQOL), sexual function, and depression. Results: Average age of the participants was 34.9 +/- 10.7 years and 37.5% were severely depressed. Ordinal logistic regression indicated that sexual drive (-0.15; CI: -0.28 to -0.027), ejaculation (-1.91, CI: -2.71 to -1.12), and problem assessment (-0.098, CI: -0.17 to -0.02) had significant effect on depression type. Depression was significantly correlated with poorer quality of life in all domains. Pearson's correlation coefficients between the BMSFI and the domains of SF-36 indicated that sexual drive (r= 0.215), ejaculation (r= 0.297) and problem assessment (r= 0.213) were significantly correlated with emotional wellbeing. Conclusion: Sexual function and depression showed association with quality of life. Effective treatment of depression and sexual function may improve the quality of life of HIV-infected person.